Seductive Embrace
by faerygirl44
Summary: YYHIY crossover Kagome returns to her era, Inuyasha’s betrayal heavy on her heart. After months of an endless depression, her mother insists that Kagome should spend time with her cousin, hoping that the distraction will help her daughter. But as Kagome
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

Kagome whimpered softly, pulling her blanket over her head to block out the sun's rays that filtered through the window. Although she was now wide-awake, she didn't want to get up just yet, so remained hidden under her blanket.

After a few more moments, the sound of thundering footsteps reached her ears, listening in amusement as her brother, Souta, ran down the stairs. Kagome pulled the blanket down, breathing in a deep breath before sitting up, stretching her arms above her head to will the sleep to leave her body.

As she was about to get up, she heard the return of her brother's footsteps as he ran back up the stairs, coming to a stop directly in front of her door.

"Kagome! Mom said you need to get up and get ready, or you'll miss the train."

"Thanks Souta. I'm up now", she replied as she stood up to walk over to her mirror.

She didn't really want to leave, but her mother insisted that she go spend the summer with her cousin, even though they had only met a few times. Kagome knew that her mother meant well, thinking that if she wasn't around the shrine and all of the memories that it held for her then she would break out of her depression.

She slid the door to her closet open, pulling out a pair of jeans and a top to wear for the day. She shut the door, draping the chosen outfit over the chair to her desk, pulling her nightshirt off. As she gazed at her self in the mirror, she unconsciously crossed her arms over her chest, her left hand fingering the claw marks that adorned her right hip while her right rested on her shoulder, covering the notch shaped scar that was inches above her heart. It had been eight months since she had finished her quest, completing the Shikon no Tama; eight months since she had last seen or spoken with her beloved friends, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo; and eight months since Inuyasha chose HER. As these thoughts consumed her, visions of that fateful day began to flood her mind.

Flashback

The Inu gang sat around a cozy campfire, preparing for night as the sun slowly dipped beyond the horizon. Kagome sat near the fire, Shippo curled up in her lap like a cat while she softly stroked his tail, humming a song to herself and to him. Sango and Miroku sat opposite from Kagome, clearly engrossed with their present conversation. Inuyasha had left as soon as the battle had been over, saying that he needed to do something. Since the rest of the group had been tired, none had objected to his departure, grateful that they were still alive and that Naraku had finally been defeated.

Kagome continued to gaze into the campfire, watching the flames curl and lick one another as if in a trance, when the familiar presence of Inuyasha nudged at her mind. As if on cue, Inuyasha stepped out into the clearing, immediately approaching Kagome.

"Kagome, can we talk", he asked, his amber stare meeting hers.

"Sure", she replied, setting Shippo beside her. He ran over to Sango and Miroku, jumping onto Miroku's shoulder, examining the monk's now healed right hand.

Kagome began to walk into the woods, but was stopped when Inuyasha stepped in front of her, leaning down so that she could climb onto his back. Kagome did so without question, clenching the fire rat haori to ensure that she would not fall.

As they sped through the forest, Kagome began to wonder what it was that he needed to talk to her about that required that they were not in earshot of their companions. A blush began to creep about her face at the thought of him professing his love for her, as she had always dreamed since meeting the hanyou. She knew that she made it obvious what her feelings were for him, and although he never acknowledged them, she knew Inuyasha knew how she felt.

Kagome sighed, burying her face into his silver mane, relishing in his scent as it surrounded her. She closed her eyes, her attention focusing on the now whole Shikon no Tama as it thumped against her chest in rhythm with Inuyasha's footfalls.

When they had finally stopped, she opened her eyes, sliding from his back as she investigated their surroundings. She immediately noticed the God Tree, as thoughts of their talk ensued through her mind.

Inuyasha remained quiet, refusing to look into her eyes. Kagome was about to express her concern when he lifted his face to the wind, sniffing the air to signify that someone was approaching.

"Is someone coming?", she asked.

"Don't worry about it", he snorted back at her.

Kagome ignored the harshness in his voice, trying to remind herself that he was probably exhausted after their last battle. She was soon brought out of her thoughts when Inuyasha approached her, placing both hands upon her shoulders, noticing a seriousness about him that she had never seen before.

"Kagome, do you remember when you said that you would always stay by my side?", he asked.

Kagome nodded, remembering that day.

"I want to hold you to that, but there's a problem with that", he responded, still refusing to meet her eyes.

"What is it, Inuyasha?", she asked hesitantly when only thing came to mind.

"My debt to…Kikyou", he replied, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers.

Kagome turned away, not wanting him to see the anger that flooded her face when the dead miko's name was mentioned.

"What do you want me to do about it?", Kagome asked. "Return to my time so you can be with her?"

Kagome turned around to face Inuyasha once again, locking her questioning gaze on him.

Inuyasha was about to reply when a pair of bushes were pulled apart, revealing the said Miko. Kagome took an instinctual step backwards, putting Inuyasha between herself and Kikyou.

Inuyasha turned an angry look towards the dead miko. "Kikyou, I told you that I would take care of it."

Kikyou sighed. "I know, but I just wanted to ensure your success, Inuyasha", she replied coldly.

"Inuyasha, what's going on?", Kagome asked as her face was enveloped in confusion, walking up to place her hand on his shoulder.

Inuyasha turned at the contact, grasping her hands in his, his gaze boring holes into the ground. "Well, we came up with a solution, one that we can all be happy with."

Kagome remained silent, watching Inuyasha, but keeping a weary eye on the miko behind them. After what seemed an eternity, Inuyasha finally resumed talking, locking his amber orbs on Kagome's sapphire ones.

"We, I mean, Kikyou and I, want to use the jewel to wish Kikyou a live body and have your soul return to it. That way it will be like being with the both of you", he sputtered out, his gaze leaving her eyes, but not her face in order to gauge her reaction.

Kagome remained still, disbelief flooding through her body. He wanted her to just happily give up her soul to her? He was joking, right? Kagome remained still for what seemed an eternity, not even realizing that she had begun to cry until she heard the soft splatter as her tears hit the dry earth.

As the realization that he was being serious dawned on her, she retracted her hands from his as if they were diseased, walking backwards until a tree stopped her. By that time, Kikyou had stepped out, replacing Kagome's prior position next to the hanyou.

"If you do not give what we ask freely, then we will take it by force", stated the dead miko coldly, notching her bow and aiming at the girl to ensure that Kagome took her threat seriously. "Kikyou, you said nothing about hurting her", scolded Inuyasha.

"Then you would just have this girl escape with my soul then, Inuyasha. You know that there is no way that we can be together unless I have my soul back, and I will do whatever is necessary to retrieve it", answered Kikyou, not once taking her cold stare off the girl in front of her.

Inuyasha bowed his head in defeat before lifting his back to Kagome, flinching when he saw how frightened she was.

Kagome watched the two argue over her fate, her entire body washing over with numbness as her mind slowly comprehended the situation. She now knew that if she did not agree, that Inuyasha would do nothing to prevent Kikyou from taking her. As her resolve thickened, she met the glare of the dead miko head on, determined not to give in without a fight.

"Kikyou, I would rather my soul be obliterated than have to spend a lifetime locked up inside of you", Kagome spat out.

"So be it", replied Kikyou, aiming her notched arrow at Kagome's heart before releasing it. Kagome watched in horror as the arrow flew towards her, forcing her body to move before she was struck down. Her eyes widened, her body falling to the ground, when a pain like no other erupted throughout her shoulder. She hit the ground with a dull thud, staring dumbly at the arrow that now protruded from her shoulder as blood cascaded from the wound, staining the front of her top crimson.

She looked up at the couple before her, watching as they fought over something, straining to hear over the ringing in her ears. 'They think I'm dead', she thought to herself as they turned their back to her. Kikyou must have foolishly believed that she could not miss. Kagome made a quick glance towards the direction of the well. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she forced herself up, taking off at a dead set run towards the well. She didn't look behind her, but knew that the two were chasing her, hearing Inuyasha curse at Kikyou.

She ran like she had never done before, her body and lungs screaming in protest at the exertion. She couldn't hear the two anymore, but knew that Inuyasha was most likely right behind her. She looked up into the canopy, trying to discern the shadows, when she heard the rustling of dead leaves. She turned her blurry vision towards her goal, sliding to a stop when a familiar red blur landed gracefully in her path.

She didn't even think twice before yelling "SIT" before running around the subdued hanyou, but forgot in her frenzied escape that the command only lasted a few moments. She broke through to the clearing that housed the well, the entire ground bathed in the moon's light. She ran up to the well, gasping as she tried to fill her burning lungs with much needed air, cradling her injured arm up against her body. She swung her legs over the edge, preparing to jump in, when she felt something grab at the back of her shirt. She immediately lurched forward, trying desperately to descend into the well. As she fell forward, she felt the hand that had grabbed her dig it's claws into her back to stop her departure. Kagome's mouth opened in a silent scream as the pain washed through her, the claws dragging across her back and around to her right hip as she fell forward and sideways. She glanced up, the tear-filled eyes barely capturing the silhouette of the hanyou that had held her heart as the magic of the well swallowed her, depositing her safely in her time.

End Flashback

Kagome was brought out of her reminiscent thoughts when the sound of glass shattering caught her attention. As her eyes slowly readjusted, she was greeted by her broken reflection, the mirror having been shattered.

"Mom's going to kill me", she groaned to herself. That had been the third mirror that she had broken that month.

She turned her back to the mirror, grabbing her clothes as she made her way to the bathroom. Things had been complete hell for her since she had returned permanently. When she had made it back to her time, she woke up in her own bed. Her mother had said that they found her unconscious in the courtyard the next morning. Kagome still had no recollection as to how she managed to climb out of the well with her injured body, her one last memory being of Inuyasha's outline bathed in moonlight.

Her family had been very concerned over her condition, and not wanting to tell them what had transpired between herself and Inuyasha, she had told them that she was attacked by a demon and accidentally shot with a arrow when her friends tried to defend her. Her mother had made it clear that she didn't want her to go back again if those were the dangers that she faced, but had assured her mother that she wouldn't be returning since she had completed the jewel.

Now what happened to the jewel is a whole other story. During her recovery, she had awoken one night with the oddest sensation in her chest. When she had looked down, the jewel had already submerged its self-halfway inside, and she had watched with morbid fascination as it sank into her body, leaving not one mark to show its intrusion. Although is helped her to heal much faster than normal, it had left her with a whole other set of problems. It seemed that every time she got angry or horribly upset, her energy would start flowing out of her with no control, hence the broken mirrors. And this was a huge problem since she was having a hard time controlling her emotions.

After she had recovered, she returned to school, determined to pick up where she had left off and enjoy a normal life. But things didn't go exactly as planned. She still had her friends, and even went out on a few dates with Hojo, but no matter how hard she tried, she felt like an outsider. She felt detached from everyone, not being able to tell even her closest friends of the events that had altered her life so much. She was no longer the always cheerful and trusting Kagome. The majority of her smiles were for show, and the only people that held her trust were her family, and even that was limited. Then to make matters worse, all of her friends were off to university, while she had no clue what she wanted to do with her life. Even if she did know what she wanted to do, her grades were far from average, and that didn't leave her with many options.

Kagome was brought out of her reverie when her brother began to knock on her door, urging her to meet them for breakfast downstairs.

"I'll be right down, Souta. I just need to brush my hair", she replied, listening to his retreating footsteps.

Kagome walked over to her desk, picking up her hairbrush, combing it through her raven locks. Her mother had been well too aware of her depression, and had often suggested she find a support group in the area. But who was she kidding; like there would be numbers of support groups for girls that had their hanyou boyfriend try and kill them so he could give her soul to his dead lover. That would get her locked up for sure.

She set her brush down, picking up the folded piece of paper that was beside it and tucked it into her pocket. The only reason she had agreed to this whole trip was that there was a temple in the area that was almost non-existent to the world. She had been looking for a teacher of sorts since the jewel decided to burrow into her body, but so far none of the temples that she had visited had a teacher worth her time. Her teacher would have to have a deep knowledge in spiritual energy, and would have to be open minded enough to not try and commit her if she tried to explain the Shikon no Tama. She would have really preferred not to have a teacher, but at the rate she was going, her energy flares were either going to hurt someone or attract unwanted attention. The only thing that she had managed was a meager concealment spell that she found in one of the numerous scrolls that littered their shed, which she used to hide the presence of the Shikon. So after a lot of research, she decided that the most unknown temples would be the ones to look at, and there just so happened to be one right outside of her cousin's town, about a one hour walk. After she had gotten comfortable, she planned to take a hike out there and see what they had to offer. Taking one last look in the still broken mirror, she headed downstairs to meet with her family.

After a short breakfast, her mom, along with Souta and her grandfather, loaded up the car with her suitcases and other belongings. As her mom and grandfather chatted about something in the background, she wandered off to take one last look at the well and the God Tree, knowing that it would be a few months before she would see them again. She stopped about halfway between the two symbols of her past, lifting her hand to cover the spot on her chest that now housed the Shikon no Tama. She had been a little concerned over the chosen spot, considering if somebody wanted to steal the jewel from her that they would have to kill her to get to it, but so far she hadn't sensed one youkai since she had returned permanently. Part of her felt the relief in this finding, while another missed the thrill of knowing that there was something inhuman in the world.

She was brought out of her musings when she heard her mother call for her. With one last glance at the two figures that had managed to alter her life so much, she retreated back to the car, giving her grandfather and brother one last hug before getting into the car.


	2. Chapter 2

After a three hour ride, the train that carried Kagome slowly pulled itself into the station, the sounds of the whistle alerting passengers and the people waiting on them of it's arrival. When the train had finally come to a stop, she grabbed her bags and made a beeline for the exit, not liking the confines of the car.

She stepped off the train, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked over the crowd. She had no idea what her cousin looked like now since it had been at least five years since they had seen each other. Her search came to an end though when Kagome heard the voice of a female calling her name. She followed the sound of the voice, resting her eyes upon a girl more or less the same age as herself as she waved her arms at her. Kagome immediately noticed her long hair, but besides that, she looked exactly the same since the last time she had seen her. Kagome pushed her way through the crowd, and when she reached the girl, she set her bags down to embrace her in a friendly hug.

"Hey, Kagome. Wow, you haven't changed a bit!", Keiko said as she eyed Kagome up and down.

"Neither have you, well except the hair", teased Kagome.

"Yeah. Do you like it? I had it cut a few years back, but decided to grow it long."

"It looks good on you."

The girls continued with the mindless chatter as they made their way to Keiko's car. Once all the bags had been placed in the backseat they pulled out of the train station, heading towards Keiko's home.

"So, how's the restaurant doing?", Kagome asked as she stared out the window.

"It's doing great. Dad wants me to take it over some day, but I really want to go to college. How bout you? Are you planning on going to school?"

"I haven't really given it much thought. I really don't know what I want to do", replied Kagome.

"Well, take your time. I'm sure you'll find something that you want to do."

Kagome nodded, giving Keiko the warmest smile she could conjure. After a few more minutes, they pulled into the driveway of Keiko's house. They grabbed Kagome's belongings, and after Kagome had been shown to her room, they met downstairs to eat lunch. When the girls had finally settled down to eat, Keiko informed Kagome of her plans that night.

"I'm sorry that this had to be on your first day here, but I'm supposed to go out on a date with my boyfriend…well, if he doesn't stand me up again", explained Keiko, her eyes narrowing in righteous anger as she said the last of her words.

Kagome looked at her in surprise. "Why would he stand you up?", she asked.

Keiko shook her head, willing the thoughts of what she would do to a certain spirit detective if he ditched her tonight out of her head to answer her cousin's question.

"Oh, it's not what you think. You see, it's because of his job. Sometimes he has to leave at the drop of a pin, and its happened more than once when we were supposed to have a date", explained Keiko, waving her hands in front of her.

Kagome nodded her understanding, eating the last bite of her food.

"Anyways, what I was going to say is that I want you to come with us so you can meet him, and most likely his friends. All we were going to do is meet up at a burger place."

"Oh, I can't do that. I don't want to be the third wheel and all, and as little time as you say that you get to spend with him, I don't want to intrude", replied Kagome, trying to hide the fact that she really didn't want to go.

"Oh nonsense. His friends will most likely be tagging along anyway. Plus I would feel awful if you had to stay cooped up in here all night."

Kagome put on another fake smile, nodding her head in defeat as she accepted the offer to go.

"Great!" exclaimed Keiko as she clapped her hands. "Plus", she said in a whisper as she leaned forward, "If he's there tonight, one of Yusuke's friends is really cute and single."

Kagome groaned inwardly, memories of her friend's futile attempts to get her and Hojo together flashing through her mind. But before she had time to refute the possibility of her wanting a boyfriend, Keiko had already began climbing the stairs to the second story of their house to phone Yusuke to tell him that they would be having company tonight.

Kurama hung the phone up, his lips curled up in amusement as the conversation with his partner replayed through his head. Yusuke had called, all but begging him to come with him and Keiko on their date tonight since she was bringing her cousin with her, and he didn't want to be trapped with two girls all by himself. Kurama had accepted since he had nothing better to do then sit and talk with Hiei, and that was if the hybrid even showed up.

Kurama walked out onto the patio, staring off into the sky as he watched the clouds pass over head. It had been a while since Koenma had summoned the spirit detectives, and although he usually didn't enjoy the interruptions, he had become quite bored. After his graduation, Kurama had immediately moved into his own apartment, wanting more privacy. The only downside to that was he hadn't really seen anyone in a while, outside of Hiei. He thought it was ironic, that he was so popular in high school, and had numbers of girls willing and waiting to date with him, and he was lonely. The only thing that kept him being completely miserable was the fact that he had Youko to talk to and Hiei. Deciding that he had had enough of sitting around his empty apartment, he slipped back inside, grabbing his keys

Kagome sat on her cousin's bed, watching her as she pulled several outfits from her closest, trying to decide what she wanted to wear that night. The sound of the phone ringing captured Kaiko's attention, abondoning her clothes to grab the phone from her desk. Kagome halfway listened to her cousin, shifting uncomfortably on the mattress. She wasn't used to being indoors all that much, since she had spent most of her time since her return either in school or helping her grandfather with the shrine duties. Her gaze shifted from her cousin to the window, watching the trees sway lazily with the light summer's breeze. She turned her head back toward Keiko when she heard her name.

"Hey, Kagome, are you ok?"

Kagome looked at her, confused, before realizing that she had probably spaced out. She shook her head, plastering on a reassuring smile.

"Yeah. Sorry bout that."

"That's ok, but if you need to talk, just let me know", replied Keiko, a concerned look taking over her features.

"No no, I'm fine. I promise. I think I just need some air, that's all."

"Great. That was a friend of mine, and she called to invite me to go with her and a few others to the mall. Do you want to go?"

Kagome quickly went over her options for an excuse for not going. She really didn't want to be trapped indoors with the swarms of teenagers that were bound to be at the mall.

"Actually, I think I'll just take a walk around the neighborhood, if that's okay. In fact, I noticed a park on our way from the station that looked inviting."

Keiko shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if that's what you want to do. I'll give you the directions to the mall just in case you change your mind. We should be there for the next few hours, and then I'll meet you back here before we go out tonight."

"Sounds like a plan", replied Kagome, thoroughly relieved that the girl didn't push the issue any further.

After Keiko had written down the directions to the mall, she left her cousin's house, immediately heading towards the park that she had seen. After about a twenty-minute walk, she came to the edge of the wooded park. As she strolled through the park, she stopped, removing her shoes so she could feel the soft, cool grass under her feet. She continued walking, chuckling at the antics of a group of nearby children as they played tag, coming to a stop when she reached a grove of Sakura trees. She breathed in deeply, relishing in the sensations of being in nature. She approached one of the trees, taking a seat at the base of it, leaning back against the rough bark. She closed her eyes, falling into a mild meditation, but not too much since she wasn't about to leave herself vulnerable in unfamiliar surroundings. She immediately relaxed, letting her tension to slowly dissolve into the ground, opening her awareness even more to better absorb the calming energies surrounding her.

She hadn't been meditating for no more than five minutes when she felt a familiar tingling sensation began tugging at her senses. Her nose scrunched up in concentration as she tried to pinpoint what was setting her senses on alert. She knew what it was trying to tell her, but she hadn't felt this since she had returned to own era. "Impossible", she muttered to herself, but as the feeling intensified, she bolted into a standing position, readying herself for what her senses were telling her.

A youkai was approaching, and a very powerful one at that.

Hiei leapt from tree to tree, so fast that if an ordinary human had actually seen him, they would have just guessed it as a trick of the shadows. He was slightly annoyed, having stopped at the kitsune's apartment, but he wasn't there. So Hiei started heading towards the next best place…Genkia's. He never made his presence known when he went to visit, but found that being in his sister's presence calmed his soul, though he would never admit that fact to anyone.

He ran through the park that rested on the outskirts of the forest that housed Genkai's temple, not paying any attention to the many ningens scattered throughout the area. At night, when the park was all but abandoned, he would lounge in the trees of this particular park, but not during the day, even though he was quite certain that he wouldn't be bothered. Although he could pass for a human when it came to appearance, and had done so on many occasions, many ningens steered clear of him, frightened by his dark and mysterious look, and that was the way he liked it. But he would not tolerate being around so many at one time, especially voluntarily.

He had all but made it to the edge of the park before it turned into an all out forest, when a certain ningen caught his attention. When he had first approached, she had been leaning against one of the many trees that resided in the park, her face contorted with what looked like concentration. But what really caught his attention was when she jumped up to a defensive position, facing his direction. He came to a halt, eyeing the girl suspiciously.

Kagome stood her ground, facing the direction that she had felt the youkai was coming from. It seemed to have stopped moving, and she continued scanning the trees in hopes of catching a glimpse of what, she didn't know. All she did know was that whoever was out there was definitely not human. She was swarmed with a variety of emotions, but mostly excitement. She had longed since her return to find out the destinies of her youkai friends, but had given up hope of their survival a few months after her return. She didn't recognize this particular youkai, but if there was one left, there had to be more, right?

Kagome visibly relaxed a bit when she noticed that the youkai wasn't getting any closer to her position. She wanted to yell out to it. Wanted to see with her own eyes the proof that youkai existed in her time, but knew that exposing herself was foolish. So she calmly gathered her shoes, slipping them on without taking her eyes off the area in front of her, before dashing out of the grove.

Hiei watched the girl's actions curiously. He could tell by her stance and demeanor that she had felt his presence, but how? When Hiei traveled though the city, he purposely masked his presence in case he ran across any ningens that held Kurabara's abilities. Even Kurabara couldn't detect him when he did this.

He inspected her more closely, but came to the same conclusion that he had when he had first glanced at her. She was a normal ningen by appearance. She wasn't ugly by any means, nor the most gorgeous female he had ever seen. Her blue eyes and pale face contrasted greatly with her ebony locks, giving her an almost ethereal look to her. He continued watching as those blue eyes scanned the area in which he stood critically, before she slowly moved to retrieve her foot ware. He couldn't sense any fear from the onna, but was surprised when he sensed…excitement? When the girl had finally disappeared from the grove, he continued on his way towards Genkai's temple, deciding to ask the kitsune about the onna's awareness of him at a later time.

Kurama quickly ducked into the park that was across the street from him, hoping to lose the mob of five schoolgirls that had been chasing him. Unfortunately it appeared that his reputation hadn't died with his graduation. He quickly darted behind a tree, wincing when the girls approached the park. They huddled for a moment before turning away from the park, and Kurama finally let out the breath he had been holding in a whoosh.

'_Come on Shuichi, you know you love the attention' _purred the all too familiar voice inside Kurama's head.

'Humph', he replied. 'And no, you love the attention.'

'_It's not my fault that kitsune's are attractive creatures by nature. If anything, it's your fault for not setting the baka onna's straight'_, he replied, giving **Shuichi**

the impression that he was pouting.

'You know just as well as I do that the only possibility of getting them to leave us alone would be killing them. You of all beings should know how stubborn females are.'

'_Well, sounds like a plan. We haven't had a good kill in months' _he growled, flexing his claws to show his support of the idea.

Kurama sighed. 'You know just as well as I that we can't do that.'

'_You're no fun. Go find Hiei so I can torment him_', he stated with a frown before receding into the innermost sections of their body.

Kurama sighed once more, deciding that a nice stroll through the park was in order before he went out with his friends that night.

Kagome continued to walk through the park at a relatively fast pace, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds to ensure that nothing was following her. She could barely sense the youkai now, but she knew that it could come after her in a moment's notice. She was so intent on the area behind her, she didn't see the person in front of her, the side of her face colliding with their chest. She fell backwards from the impact, falling on her rear in a very undignified fashion, as she quickly shifted her eyes to the person in front of her. Her vision was filled with emerald eyes framed by flaming red hair. But the second thing that she noticed made her gasp.

Kurama had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he had not seen the small girl until she had collided, face first, into his chest. He tried to reach out to grab her before she fell, but the impact was too much, sending her crashing to the ground before his hands could reach her. He quickly made a move to assist the girl up, but stopped when their eyes met. She was beautiful, he would admit, but it wasn't her beauty that made him stop, but the strange look that she was giving him. Most girls that he would come across would either get all googly eyed and start swooning, or turn their eyes downward and blush, but this girl; she looked at him like he was a freak of nature.

Kagome continued to stare at the man before her. 'What in the world', she thought to herself. The man looked completely human and felt human, but at the same time she swore that she could feel a youkai ki amongst his. But he was definitely not hanyou. It was like looking at a youkai and a human at the same time. Kagome quickly noticed the odd look he was giving her, and realized that she was probably giving him an even worse look. The man extended a hand towards her, which she reluctantly accepted. After she was back on her feet, she dusted off her pants before turning towards the man, bowing low in apology.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. Thank you for helping me up", she said in a hurried fashion before walking around the said man, not giving him enough time to give her a reply.

Kurama turned around, watching the girl in her retreat as her long ebony hair swayed with her rushed strides.

'_That was a first' _came the familiar voice in his mind. '_I don't believe any female has ever looked at us in that fashion before.'_

'Yes, that was odd. There is only one reason I can think of that would cause her to look at us like that, but that isn't very likely.'

Youko contemplated the thought for a moment. '_Yes, it was almost as if she saw the both of us, wasn't it._' Shuichiremained silent, feeling Youko smirk in amusement. _'We should follow her. We could definitely have fun with her.'_

Shuichi pondered on the idea, but quickly shook his head. As much as he wanted to know what that girl had seen, he wasn't about to risk exposure just to sate his curiosity.

'_Humph. We finally find a female that might actually give us a chase, but you throw the chance away due to the risk of exposure. As I said earlier, you're no fun!'_ Youko fumed, swishing his tail back and forth in their mind. '_Besides, I want to do more than talk to her. She looked absolutely delicious' _he stated, licking his lips for emphasis.

Shuichi rolled his eyes. 'You think Hiei looks delicious. As a matter of fact, you're attracted to anything with a remote sense of beauty. Anyway, if we went and followed the girl, it would only scare her, and I really don't want to have to explain to mother why we were arrested for stalking a girl' he replied logically.

'_Fine. But I still think that there is more to that girl than meets the eye.' _With that, Youko retreated once again into the back of their mind.

Kurama shrugged his shoulders, turning back towards the street to head back to his apartment to prepare for the outing with his friends.

Kagome didn't slow her pace down until she had reached the street that contained her cousin's house. She couldn't believe the day's events. First she senses a youkai, then, not even five minutes later, she runs into another strange person. She still couldn't pinpoint exactly what that man was, and seriously had to fight back the urge to go back and interrogate him. But as the protector of the Shikon no Tama, she couldn't risk exposing herself to unknown youkai, even if they did feel somewhat human. She let out a sigh of relief when her cousin's house came into view, deciding that she needed a long shower, hoping the day wouldn't get anymore weirder.


	3. Chapter 3

Makai

A lone demoness sat in her chair, boredly observing the streaks of lightning that flashed through the unnatural red sky. To the ignorant observer, she would have appeared to be a gorgeous being, her dark purple eyes and long, blue-black hair perfectly accenting her flawless face. Her body was supple, enough to make even the most famous supermodel green with envy. Her skin shimmered even in the dark, and appeared to be as soft as the finest silk. But if you were to look beyond that outside beauty, looking into the very soul of this demoness, even the most vile of creatures would be repulsed by what they saw. This was Tarasu, seductress of Makai.

She continued to gaze out her bedroom window, slowly fingering the string to her tightly bound bodice with her clawed hand, before turning her attention to her latest victim. The demon had been foolish enough to cross her path, and she had taken the advantage that he had presented her. The demon laid in her bed, his wrinkled skin flaking off with his last futile attempts to escape his captor. Tarasu chuckled lightly at his contorted face, remembering the once handsome demon he had once been. That was what she did, she sucked the very life out of her lovers, and enjoyed every minute of it. She was what one might call a psychic vampire, for she sustained her youth and flawless looks by absorbing the life energy that her victims possessed.

The once young demon tried in vain to moan, but all that came with the attempt was a harsh rasping sound. Tarasu rose from her chair, walking to the bed to look her former lover in the eyes as he lived his last moments. Out of all the things she enjoyed the most, it was witnessing the last spark of life leaving its owners body. The demon looked at her in fear, causing Tarasu to chuckle again.

"Tsk, tsk darling. I fear that it is a bit too late for such looks. I will admit that you were delicious. Too bad I couldn't keep you."

Her smirk grew into an all out smile as she sensed the last of his energy flow from his body, willing it into her own. She loved knowing that she had complete control over how her victims died, for if she willed it, they could be dead in a matter of minutes once she had control of them. That was her art. She had not met a male that she could not seduce. But that wasn't enough. Occasionally she would challenge herself, finding a female that met her approval. The young ones were the most delectable, sustaining her appearance for months at a time. But almost all females were immune to her seduction, which added to the challenge.

Tarasu looked up from her bed as her companion entered the room, a line of servants following behind her.

"Done already, I see. My, that had to have been the fourth one this week."

"I hate to admit it Nari, but it has been extremely difficult to find victims that have enough energy to sustain me. Every male that I have taken this week have been nothing but weaklings, only satisfying me for a day or so" she replied, her face scrunching up in a pout.

The younger demoness nodded her head in agreement, her honeyed hued curls bouncing with the movement. "I agree. If we don't find you someone with a suitable amount of energy soon, who knows how many we'll have to capture, and I'm sure the servants are tiring of cleaning up the messes."

Tarasu glanced back to her bed, the servants quickly disposing of the crusted up body, removing the linens to be replaced with new ones.

Tarasu sighed. "I suppose you're right. What I wouldn't do to have a nice, powerful female at the moment. It has been ages since I've had a taste."

Nari nodded once more, turning her attention to the servants who were now exiting the bedchamber, leaving her alone with her mistress. It had been almost two hundred years since she had first come across her mistress. Originally, she had been intended as one of Tarasu's many victims, but when Tarasu had seen how sadistic she was under her innocent exterior, she couldn't find the heart to do away with her, so kept her as a companion. And there wasn't anything that she wouldn't do for her mistress, so if it was a female that she wanted, then a female she would get.

Nari turned her blue eyes toward her mistress. "Tell you what. When I go into town today, I'll ask around and see if there isn't any leads to a suitable female in the area, and if so, I will personally hunt them down for you."

Tarasu's eyes lit up with her words, gliding over to her companion, embracing her in a lover's hug from behind. "If you do well, I promise that you will be generously rewarded", she purred into the blonde's ear, her hot breath sending shivers throughout the girl's body. Tarasu used her tongue to caress her ear, before pulling away. Nari outwardly moaned from the loss of her mistresses embrace, but knew that if she did well, she wouldn't have much longer to wait to enjoy the promised favors.

"Hai. I'll do my best. In fact, I think I'll leave right away." With that said, Nari quickly exited the bedchamber, hurrying towards her own to prepare for her outing.

Kagome stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel that was draped across the sink. Bringing it up to her hair, she began with the tedious motions of drying her long locks. She had been relieved that Keiko hadn't returned from her trip to the mall, enjoying the solitude for all it had to offer. This was one of the very things that her mother had been concerned about; Kagome's reclusiveness. She had made no effort to spend time with her friends back home, preferring her room or the shrine duties to that of her friend's company. But who was she kidding. She knew that she wasn't the most cheerful person to be around, and didn't like the constant poking and prodding of her friends, even if they meant well.

After she had finished drying the rest of her body, she grabbed the outfit that she planned on wearing out that night. It wasn't anything flashy. Just a pair of jeans and a blue top embroidered with sakura petals. She could no longer wear tank tops or belly shirts, not liking to explain the gruesome scars that adorned her body. Even when swimming, she refused to go out in public unless she had a one piece and a shirt to wear.

After she had slipped into her clothes, she pulled her still drying hair into a half ponytail, securing it in place with a hair band. As she started applying a meager amount of makeup, she heard the arrival of her cousin as she made her way up the stairs.

"Kagome? You there?"

Kagome placed the lip-gloss back into her overnight bag before stepping out into the hallway.

"Yeah. I'm here. Did you have fun at the mall?"

"Oh yeah. We had a great time, though I wish you had come too."

"Well, I had an interesting time in the park, so don't worry about me", Kagome replied, following Keiko into her room.

Kagome once again sat on the bed, gazing out the window as Keiko quickly got dressed. When she was finished, she turned back towards Kagome.

"So, you ready to meet the guys. I'll warn you, they can be rowdy at times, but they are nothing to worry about."

Kagome nodded, following her cousin out of the room.

Kagome stepped out of her cousin's car, taking in her new surroundings. They had just arrived at the place where they were to meet Keiko's boyfriend, along with his friends as well. She just hoped that the night would hold no more surprises. The chosen place appeared to be nothing more than a simple burger place.

"So, does he take you out to all the finest restaurants in town", Kagome teased, jutting her elbow softly into Keiko's side.

"I know, I know", she sighed. "It's just…well, you'll understand when you meet him, ok?"

Kagome nodded her head, a soft giggle escaping from her smirking lips. 'Maybe I will have fun tonight', she thought to herself.

The two girls went through the doors, coming to a stop right inside. Kagome remained by Keiko while she looked through the crowd of people, trying to locate her boyfriend.

"He better have not stood me up again", she growled to herself.

Kagome chuckled at her cousin, hoping that he didn't either, since she would be the one to have to calm the girl. She looked around the dining area, noticing that it was quite busy, even for a weekend. Several teenagers jumped up from their table, making a beeline for the small room that housed an arcade. That was when a loud voice made it's self-known over the crowd, causing several people to look in that direction, then in ours.

"Hey Keiko, over here!"

Kagome turned her head towards the owner of the voice, her eyes inspecting the boy. He looked to be the same age as her and her cousin, with black hair that was slicked back in a punkish sort of fashion, but she had to admit that he was cute in that bad boy sense. His clothes added more to the tough guy appearance, his black leather jacket accentuating his hairstyle.

Keiko's face lit up when she saw the boy, instantly tipping Kagome off that this was the boyfriend. Keiko grabbed Kagome's hand, quickly leading her through the crowd to the booth that the boy occupied. They took their seats, Keiko sliding in next to the boy while Kagome sat across from the couple. She watched as Keiko lit up in a rosy blush as the boy pulled her into a romantic kiss, slipping his arms behind her body. Kagome looked away, wanting to give the couple as much privacy as she could. After about a minute, the boy released her, both gasping to catch their breath.

Keiko playfully swat at his chest, her blush still as brilliant as ever. "Well hello to you too!"

After the two had given a few more seconds to coddling, the pair turned toward Kagome, who was still trying to gaze in a different direction than the happy couple. The sound of a clearing throat caught her attention, turning her head towards them. Yusuke threw his hand out in front of him, intent on making the first introduction.

"Yusuke Urameshi. Pleased to meet you" he stated, his lips forming into a cocky smirk.

Kagome giggled before taking his hand, surprising him by giving him a firm shake.

"Kagome Higurashi. Pleased to meet you Yusuke."

"Yusuke, what happened to inviting the guys?" questioned Kaiko.

"Well, Kurabara got stuck with babysitting for one of Shizuru's friends, but Kur… I mean Shuichi, should be on his way right now."

"Ah, good. I was hoping Shuichi could make it" replied Keiko before leaning in a bit closer to Yusuke. "Because Kagome here is single, and I think her and Shuichi would make a cute couple" she whispered, but loud enough for Kagome to catch what she was saying.

Kagome instantly paled for a moment in embarrassment when Yusuke busted up laughing. "You know Keiko, I would have thought that you would value your family's well being a bit more than that. You know as well as I that if any of Shuichi's 'fan club' were to catch their darling with another girl, it would be curtains for her" he explained, using his finger to slice his neck as an example.

Now it was Kagome's turn to laugh. "Fan club? Wow, he must be popular then."

"Speaking of which, here he comes now." Both girls turned their heads towards the direction that Yusuke was. Kagome gasped slightly when she realized that it was the same strange man from the park. She mentally groaned, cursing her bad luck. Sure, she had been curious about him, but she surely didn't want to meet him under these circumstances. She watched as he faltered a moment in his step when he finally noticed her, but as quickly as he had wavered, he continued walking gracefully towards their table. As he approached, she had to blink her eyes a few times, swearing that she had seen his eyes flash gold. But as quick as she had seen it, it was gone, only the brilliant green remaining.

Keiko covered her mouth as a giggle escaped, caused by Kagome's sharp intake of breath. She had thought that Kagome would find their friend attractive, and was most pleased at her reaction. Unknown to her, Kagome's gasp was not due to his appearance.

Kurama entered the restaurant, shaking his head in dismay at the 'fine dining' that his friend had chosen for their outing. He searched the crowd, looking for his loud-mouthed partner, finally noticing him, along with Keiko and apparently her cousin. He began to squeeze through the crowd, but as he began to get a closer look at the girl sitting across from his friends, he almost tripped due to the surprise that overtook him. He stopped for a brief moment before resuming his intended course, immediately feeling the familiar stirring of his youkai counterpart.

'_My my my, what do we have here? It looks like we didn't have to chase her after all. It seems that the girl has practically fallen into our laps' _commented Youko with an amused tone.

'It is a strange coincidence. I wonder how she will react to us this time?'

'_Coincidence? Nonsense. This is destiny. She was meant to be ours',_ he purred.

Shuichi mentally rolled his eyes. ' I do admit that she is attractive, but we know nothing about her, and until then, we need to be careful.'

'_I'm not suggesting that we pour our hearts and souls out to her. I just want to convince her that she needs to come and be with us tonight' _he explained, winking his eye.

'But Youko, aren't you afraid that Hiei might get jealous?' asked Shuichi in a mocking voice.

Youko was silent for a moment. '_Bastard.'_

'I learned from the best.'

As the two were finishing up their mental conversation, Kurama had made his way to the booth. He first turned towards Yusuke and Keiko, extending a greeting towards he couple first before sliding into the seat next to the somewhat familiar girl. Kagome had finally managed to regain her composure, forcing her gaze off of the man beside her to look upon her fidgeting hands.

"Shuichi Minamino, meet my cousin, Kagome Higurashi. She'll be staying with me this summer" chirped Keiko, smiling goofily at the two. Kagome merely nodded at Kurama, still trying to hide her surprise, but not doing a good job at it.

"Well, it seems that I and Miss Higurashi have met before. In fact, we literally ran into each other this afternoon at the park", replied Kurama, giving Kagome one of his most charming smiles.

"Really. That is so neat. Did you two talk or anything", asked Keiko.

"No. I'm afraid that Miss Higurashi was in a hurry, so we didn't get that chance… though I hope to make up for that" answered Kurama, with Youko influencing the last part.

Kagome blushed at the implications of that statement, but quickly decided that no matter how odd this Shuichi was, she couldn't be rude to him. And maybe if she got to know him better, she could find out what he was hiding.

"Well, we'll have to see about that. And by the way, it's just Kagome."

"Well, Kagome, I do hope that we can become good friends", he replied. Shuichi tried in vain to hold off Youko, but was caught off guard when he took control, just long enough to grasp a hold of Kagome's small hand, placing a sensual kiss on her palm.

Kagome looked shocked for moment, her blush darkening a few shades, but quickly regained her bearings. Sure, she was slightly embarrassed by his outward affections, but she was used to it, having to put up with Kouga's constant flirting in the past. When he had yet to release her hand, she pulled it away from him, glaring at the amused Keiko for all she was worth.

'_Just don't sit there. Say something to her.'_

'It's your fault. You can't move that fast with human girls.'

'Well, excuse me. It's not everyday that we meet a girl that doesn't throw themselves upon us. Besides, I just wanted to taste her, and she is divine.'

Shuichi ignored Youko, quickly trying to come up with something that would appease the flustered girl.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so forward. It's just that it's not everyday that I meet one such as yourself that holds such beauty", he replied, the words rolling off of his tongue smoothly. He caught her gaze with his, wanting to gauge the girl's reaction.

Kagome was baffled, to say the least. One minute, he's kissing her hand, and the next he's apologizing? She was seriously wondering if he had split personalities. But she accepted the apology and complement.

"Ah…I don't know what to say." Kagome replied shyly. She had to catch herself from sighing in relief when Yusuke interrupted.

"Damn, Shuichi. This is the first time I've ever seen you openly flirt with a girl. Hell, for a while I thought that you and Hiei…" Yusuke chose to not finish that sentence when Kurama gave him a glare that promised death.

Yusuke chuckled, running his hand through his slicked back hair. "But man, you and Keiko must have something against the girl, because if any of your 'fan club' were to see you two together…" Yusuke visibly shivered at that thought. He knew all too well the wrath of females.

Kagome chuckled at the thought of her getting attacked by a bunch of girls. She would be the first to admit that she wasn't the most skilled fighter, but if she could handle hoards of demons coming after her, she was pretty sure she could handle a few jealous girls. She shifted her eyes to where she could get a better look at Shuichi, trying not to make it obvious that she was checking him out. Yeah, he was very handsome, but considering the demons that she had been around in the Sengoku Jidai, she wasn't all that impressed. He seemed to have an aloof personality, which intrigued her greatly, and had a calm, collected personality. Maybe she would take the time to get to know him a bit better, although she had no intentions of being in serious relationship with anyone. She had decided a while back that she didn't feel it would be right to commit to someone, but not allow them to know who she really was at heart. Although her mother assumed that she would eventually forget everything that happened during her time traveling, Kagome knew that that part of her life would always be with her, if not the most important period of her life. The quest for the jewel shards and everything that had happened along the way had molded her into the person she was today.

Kagome was brought out of her musings when she felt a firm hand rest upon her shoulders. She gazed at the hand, then to the owner, which was Shuichi.

"Are you ok, Kagome?" Kurama asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Oh yeah, I was just thinking, that's all", she replied, giving Kurama her most believable smile.

"Well, we were deciding whether we should go to a movie, and wanted to know what you thought", he asked, never taking his gaze off of her.

'_Say yes. It's dark in movie theaters', _exclaimed Youko excitedly

'We can't just take her to a movie and molest the poor girl. If you don't stop, we'll frighten her.'

'_I have no intentions of molesting her. I just want to play',_ whined Youko.

The pair was brought out of their conversation when Kagome replied, agreeing that a movie would be great after they had eaten. After the girls had told them what they wanted, Kurama and Yusuke left the booth to order their food.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Keiko immediately bombarded Kagome with a slew of questions.

"So, what do you think. He really likes you. I've never seen him take this much interest in a girl before."

"He's nice, but I'm really not looking for a boyfriend at the moment" replied Kagome truthfully.

Keiko reached across the table, placing her hand on her cousin's. "Well, at least give him a chance. He's a really nice guy, and at least you two can be friends."

"Yeah, we'll see. But let me ask. How long have you known him, and how did you guys meet?" asked Kagome.

"Well, we've known him for about four years, I think. I met him through Yusuke, though I'm not too sure how they met. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, its nothing. I was just curious" replied Kagome. She was satisfied enough that if he was dangerous, that he would have proved that by now. So she quickly decided that she would try to ignore the youkai energy that she could sense from him. Besides, for all she knew, he could be completely clueless to that fact, and she surely didn't want to be the one to explain that to him.

By the time the girls had finished their conversation, Yusuke and Kurama had returned with their food. They began eating, not saying much to one another until Yusuke and Keiko erupted in an argument when Yusuke had apparently tried to steal some of her food. The rest of the group hadn't even eaten half of their food, yet Yusuke had already consumed his two burgers and fries, and was still complaining that he was hungry.

"But Keiko, I'm a growing boy, and I need my nutrients" he whined, trying to convince her to fork over some of her fries.

"Yusuke, that stopped working years ago. If you want more food, go get some more" Keiko replied calmly, trying not to get annoyed.

"I don't want to stand in line again, and besides, I thought you were trying to watch your figure", Yusuke spluttered.

Kagome looked up quickly, appalled that he would say something to her like that. Every person that was seated in their general area turned to look at them when a loud slap was heard, echoing throughout the dining area. While Yusuke was still in shock over being slapped so hard, Keiko pushed him out of the seat, causing him to land in an undignified heap on the floor.

"Yusuke, I can't believe you. Kagome, Shuichi, I'll be waiting in the car" Keiko informed them angrily. She scooped up her meal, stepping over him to march out the door.

Kagome turned to look at Kurama, who during the entire episode, had not once looked up.

"Do they do that all the time?" asked Kagome, still stunned by the scene.

"Well, Yusuke does have a way with words", he replied thoughtfully.

Kagome laughed, especially when she realized that this was probably what her and Inuyasha looked like to their friends back in the past. It always started with Inuyasha saying something rude, and he always ended up on the ground.

The two continued eating, and when they were finished, Kurama poked and prodded Yusuke until he stood up, going out ahead of them to apologize before the movie. When they were sure the coast was clear, Kurama opened the door for Kagome.

"After you", Kurama said, bowing and extending his hand towards the door.

A/N

I would like to thank HeavensAngel, Destiny'sdarkangel82, ookami san the animelover, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliaphobia, TheAlmightyAya-sama, for their reviews…they keep motivated. Thanks to Kuramas gurl the spelling correction. I knew that it looked funny : ) tbiris, I just wanted to say that I love your story, and also to Ryukotsusei, your story Whispers in the Night is awesome.


	4. Chapter 4

Nari strolled through the small town, stopping here and there to gather supplies for her mistress. She had already found several fine silks with which she could make kimonos. She smiled, thinking of how beautiful Tarasu would look, especially in the black silk. She hadn't been able to uncover any rumors of strong females in the area, so decided to stop at the local tavern for a drink in the hopes of hearing something.

She approached the bar, ordering a drink before taking a seat at a table in the back. She mentally laughed when several of the locals immediately left, knowing who she was and what she was most likely looking for.

Although Nari didn't have any special abilities, she possessed superb hearing, so one by one, she eavesdropped each table, catching a few moments of each conversation. When she had finished listening to the last discussion, but not obtaining any useful information, she chugged the last of her drink. She rose from her chair, preparing to leave, but stopped when two handsome demons walked through the door. Eyeing them up and down, she returned to her seat, motioning to the bartender to bring her another drink. If she couldn't find any females, then she could at least bring in the two juicy youkai that were before her.

The two males, from what she could gather from appearances, were wolf and fox. Both had a muscular build, the wolf's dark brown hair accentuating his blue eyes, while the fox had green eyes, his auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail.

After they had settled down at a table, she once again spread out her senses, wanting to figure out the best way to lure them to her mistress. She always used one of three tactics; lust, chivalry, or greed. She would flirt with them, promising them a good time if they escorted her home. If the male actually held some morals, she would pretend that she was lost, desperately in need of someone strong and brave to take her home. And if those two were out of the question, she would bribe them, promising a hefty cash reward for her safe arrival home.

As she observed the two, she figured the best route would be to play the lost innocent girl. She was about to rise to approach their table when part of their conversation caught her attention.

"Damn Sesshoumaru. Why can't he hold his meetings some place closer to my lands? I hate leaving Ayame alone with the cubs" the wolf youkai protested loudly.

"You know as well as I that Sesshoumaru will not go out of his way to make things easier for anyone. Besides, you know that you didn't have to come" replied the fox.

"I know, but I'm just as anxious as you to find out when we can contact Kagome. Its been too damn long since I've seen my woman, and I want to make sure that she's safe after her incident with dog turd."

"Kouga", the fox responded with an exasperated sigh. "Do you still think Kagome will be your mate. What about Ayame? She would have your head if she heard you talking like that."

"Hey, its common knowledge that wolf youkai can have more than one mate" he responded matter-of-factly, crossing his arms defiantly.

"And what do you think Kagome would say? Do you really think that she would want to be second best in another relationship? You of all people know what Inuyasha put her through, and if she still possess the Shikon no Tama, it would be too dangerous for her to stay in Makai."

Nari's eyes lit up with curiosity with the mention of the fabled jewel. She had heard a few stories pertaining to the artifact, but everyone had always assumed that the jewel had vanished from existence.

"I know, I know. You don't have to lecture me kit. At any rate, I can always dream, can't I?" replied the wolf dreamily.

The fox youkai rolled his eyes at his companion, but chose to not argue the subject any further. After the wolf had apparently finished day dreaming, they began talking again, much to Nari's satisfaction.

"Well, Kouga, we had better get moving. We wouldn't want to upset Sesshoumaru by being late."

"Keh. I don't care what dog man thinks. If I want to be late, then I'll be late."

"Yeah, and then he won't let you in on the information. You know that Sesshoumaru is one of the few that has the connections to find out what we need to know, and the only reason that he is helping us is that Kagome was the key player to the destruction of Naraku. Although he won't admit it, I think he actually grew to respect her for what she was, and is doing this, knowing that it would make Kagome happy."

"Hell, Sesshoumaru? Respect a human? I thought he was just getting senile in his old age and didn't realize what he was doing" snorted the wolf.

The fox rolled his eyes once again, choosing once again to ignore his companion.

"At any rate, let's get out of here." With that, the fox abandoned his seat.

Nari took that as her cue. Putting on her most innocent looking face, she timidly approached the two youkai, clearing her throat to get their attention.

The two turned around, both inspecting her cautiously. If they had learned one thing in their long lives, it was not to trust anyone.

"Ano…I was wondering if you two could help me?" asked Nari softly, her eyes downcast.

"What can we do for you miss?" asked the wolf.

"Well, it seems that I have become separated from my companions, and was wondering if you two would be kind enough to escort me home." Nari lifted her eyes, trying to give them her best puppy dog eyes.

"Well, I don't know. We're in a bit of a hurry" replied Shippo apologetically. He wanted to help her, but didn't want to risk angering Sesshoumaru.

Kouga took one look at the girl's innocent face, and was immediately suckered in. "What's wrong with you Shippo. She needs help, and we should help her. After all, it's a man's duty" boasted Kouga, puffing out his chest.

Shippo thought about it for a moment, trying to make a decision. If one of them were to escort the girl home, and the other continue, then at least one of them would make it in time. But which one of them should go with the girl?

Shippo looked over at Kouga, who had grasped her hand in his, promising that he would protect her on her journey home. That's when Shippo decided that it would probably be best for him to take the girl home, since Kouga was known to be easily distracted, and he could catch up with Kouga in no time since he had perfected his transforming techniques. All he would have to do is transform into a bird and meet up with the wolf.

"Fine. But I'll take her home, and you'll continue on. I'll meet up with you when I'm done."

Nari faltered for a minute. She wanted both of them to come with her, but didn't want to be suspicious.

"Ano…wouldn't it be safer if we all stuck together?" she asked shyly.

"Naw, Kouga will be alright, and I can handle myself until I meet up with him. It's just we have a very important meeting to get to, and at least one of us has to be there on time" answered Shippo, waving his hand at the wolf in a disregarding fashion.

The wolf glared at the fox for a moment, but quickly shrugged it off. "Fine, I'll go ahead, but you better meet up with me, kit, cause I don't want to meet with Sesshoumaru by myself." With that Kouga sped out the door, heading towards the west.

Shippo nodded towards the blonde. "Lead the way."

Nari smiled, gathering her packages from her days shopping, before exiting out the door. If Shippo had been paying attention, he would have caught the pitying looks directed towards him from many of the tavern's occupants.

'Well, better the one than neither of them. Maybe with the right persuasion, we can get some more information about this Kagome girl and the Shikon, and then Tarasu will fulfill her promise' she thought to herself smugly.

As they neared the movie theater, the discussion of what movie to watch was brought up. Youko already had something in mind.

'_We should see a horror movie. Females get scared at horror movies, and then they get clingy.'_ Youko exclaimed excitedly, immediately imagining Kagome locked onto their arm.

'We have to find something that every one agrees on' Shuichi argued. 

Youko was about to push through enough to make the suggestion when Kagome's voice reached their ears.

"If it's not a problem, can we see something that has some action in it, maybe something a little scary? I hate movies that are all drama." Kagome hated love stories, since all they did was remind her of Inuyasha.

Inside their mind, Youko displayed one of the most devilish looking smiles that Shuichi had ever witnessed, causing him to shudder.

Yusuke turned around in the front seat to where he was looking at her. "Kagome, you're my new best friend. Keiko, I guess you're out voted."

"Fine, but you're going to take me to see the other movie that I want to watch soon" she replied.

Kagome turned towards Kurama, wanting to know his opinion. She was about to ask, but something about his eyes caught her attention. She could have sworn that his eyes had shimmered to a golden color. But as soon as she had seen it, it was gone. She blinked a few times, but the same brilliant green welcomed her. She shrugged it off, thinking it was probably just the lighting, considering they were in a dark vehicle.

Kurama was so entranced with her sapphire orbs, which seemed to glow in the surrounding darkness, that her next question caught both Shuichi and Youko off guard.

"So what do you think?" she asked.

Youko pushed through at the same moment that Shuichi was about to reply.

"Beautiful" they responded in unison, surprising the both of them.

Kagome looked bewildered for a moment, but blushed when she realized the way he was looking at her.

Shuichi regained full control when he realized their outburst. "Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Great" Kagome responded, quickly turning away from Kurama, hoping that he had not noticed her blush.

Kagome and Shuichi walked behind Keiko and Yusuke as they headed for the ticket booth of the movie theater. So far, no more fighting had erupted from the couple in front, much to the other pair's relief. But the relief was short lived.

"What do you mean you don't have any money Yusuke? I thought Koenma started paying you?" asked Keiko angrily.

Yusuke mumbled something uncomprehendable, even to Kurama's excellent hearing.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I said that I spent it on a video game. Happy?" Yusuke all but yelled at her.

Keiko rolled her eyes at Yusuke, but decided that she wanted to try and keep the remainder of the evening peaceful. "Fine. I'll pay for us, but you had better make it up to me when you get paid again. Got it?"

"Yes mam" replied Yusuke mockingly.

Keiko glared at Yusuke for a moment longer, but turned her attention away from her boyfriend to pay for their tickets. Once she had received them, the couple retreated from the window, Keiko still fuming and Yusuke still pouting.

Kagome approached the window next, pulling out the money she had brought with her just in case. She jumped slightly when she felt a hand close over hers. When she looked up, Kurama had an almost scolding expression to him.

"Now Kagome, where would my manners be if I let you pay for yourself."

Kagome looked confused for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"I'm sorry Shuichi, but I must insist that I pay for my own ticket. You're a really nice guy, and I wouldn't feel right letting you pay for me when we aren't even on a date" she replied sweetly, turning to pay the ticket lady before Kurama could regain his composure.

'That was a first.'

'_Ouch. That was harsh…yet not insulting. I think I like her even more' _Youko answered, his lips turning up into a playful grin.

'She may be harder to win over than we originally expected.'

'_Well, if it's a game she wants, then it's a game she'll get' _replied Youko, his tail swishing back and forth in their mind.

Shuichi mentally groaned at the implications of that statement. He now knew that it would be extremely difficult to control Youko and almost considered calling it a night until Kagome's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Shuichi, are you ok?"

Kurama looked up, immediately locking with Kagome's blue eyes.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just daydreaming, that's all."

"Ok. I just hope that I didn't offend you or anything" Kagome replied, worry creeping into her eyes.

Kurama continued to look at her, his lips curling into one of his most charming smiles. "Let me assure you that you did no such thing. Instead, I must again apologize for being so forward."

Kagome's face lit up with a smile, making Kurama's heart almost skip a beat. "Don't worry about it Shuichi. I know you were just trying to be polite. We better hurry, or we won't be able to find Keiko and Yusuke in the crowd."

"Oh, don't worry. All you have to do is look for the loudest couple" he responded with a smirk.

After the two had located their friends, the group made their way into the theater, taking seats near the back. The boys sat in the outer seats with the girls in between them. Keiko and Yusuke had started cuddling, leaving Kagome and Kurama to their own musings.

"So, Kagome, have you graduated from high school yet?"

"Barely, but yes" she answered truthfully.

"Really. You don't strike me as a person who would have problems in school" he responded. If Kurabara could pass high school with flying colors, then she should have had no problems.

"Oh, well, it wasn't because of my grades per say, but rather my health. I was very sick and missed a lot of school. Actually, I think my grades were my saving grace."

Kurama nodded his head in understanding, but Youko seemed reluctant to accept her answer.

'Why would she lie about something like that?' questioned Shuichi.

'_Look at her. Does she look like someone who has ever been seriously ill enough to miss so much school to not pass?'_

'True. But I don't think it would be a good idea to delve any deeper. It wouldn't do us any good to make her think that we don't believe her.'

Youko shook his head in disgrace. _'I thought that you would have learned this by now. You just have to ask the right questions.'_

Before Shuichi could say another word, Youko had pushed through enough to take control of their vocal chords. Settling a concerned look on his features, he looked at Kagome.

"My, that must have been awful. What were you sick with?" he asked.

Kagome looked over at him, almost shuddering under his intense stare. She started fidgeting, not knowing what to say, and quickly regretted saying anything about it. She didn't want to tell him any of the embarrassing illnesses that her grandfather had made up for her.

"Well, just a bit of this and a bit of that. You know how it is, when it rains, it pours" she replied in a soft voice, hoping that that would be a good enough answer for him.

She noticed as he looked her up and down, grateful when his unwavering stare turned more soft.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but if you ever have any problems with your health, just let me know. Botany is one of my specialties, and I'm sure that I could mix something up for you."

"Arigato" she replied, relieved that he hadn't pushed the issue any further.

The movie theater became silent as the lights began to dim. Youko continued to examine Kagome from the safety of their mind.

'_She is definitely hiding something.'_

Shuichi remained silent for a moment, thinking over the last part of their conversation with Kagome. 'Maybe she's just embarrassed to tell us what was wrong with her' he offered.

'_Nonsense. This girl hasn't been seriously ill a day in her life. Look how healthy her appearance is, and not to mention her energy.'_

'Even if she is hiding something, we just can't interrogate her.'

'_As I said before, all you have to do is ask the right questions'_ he responded before withdrawing into their mind to ponder his new puzzle.

Shuichi visibly relaxed with Youko's departure. He couldn't explain why, but he felt it necessary to not scare the girl off. He shifted his gaze to where he was looking at her, but not making it obvious. He couldn't understand why he felt so drawn to her, and it just wasn't him, but Youko too. He had never seen Youko so interested in a human before, and it was almost unnerving. From the moment that they had ran into each other in the park, the both of them had been immediately attracted to her, and it just wasn't physically, either. She had an air about her that just screamed mystery, he decided, and that was what had reigned them in.

Kurama continued to watch Kagome during the movie, Youko especially intrigued with her demeanor. The movie that they had chosen was a fairly graphic one, yet Kagome seemed completely unfazed by the gore.

'Well, she did say that she liked these types of movies' Shuichi offered when Youko began to pout, disappointed that the girl hadn't latched onto their arm yet.

'_Still, I was hoping that she would have at least a somewhat startled reaction. Look at Keiko. She's seen more bloodshed than most lower youkai ever get to experience, and she's at least jumping' _he replied, referring to Keiko's audience at the Dark Tournament.

'True' Shuichi agreed.

'_Well, if she won't cuddle with us, then we'll have to take a different approach.'_

Shuichi was about to ask Youko what he meant by that when his mind reeled, knowing immediately that the disorienting feeling was due to Youko trying to take control. He instantly fought against the intrusion, but knew that when Youko had his mind set on something, that it was nearly impossible to stop him. 

Shuichi watched with dread as Youko stretched their arms, resting their hand on the same armrest that was currently occupied by Kagome. They felt her tense as his hand brushed hers, but they were pleased when she quickly relaxed, redirecting her attention to them.

"Is it ok if I share this arm rest with you?" Youko purred out innocently.

"Ah…sure" she replied, not knowing what to say.

Their hands remained on the armrest, slightly overlapping each other. They continued to watch the movie, but as a particularly violent scene began to play out, Youko glanced to his side, wanting to observe the girl's reaction. The hero of the movie and his comrades were facing their arch nemesis. During the confrontation, one of the said comrades had been severely injured, and instead of finishing the fight, the hero went instead to the aid of his fallen friend, causing himself to be wounded. Youko was completely taken off guard when she smiled.

"That was sloppy. He should have finished the fight, and then helped his friend. Then if his friend did die, then it wouldn't be in vain" she whispered nonchalantly, her eyes never leaving the screen.

Youko and Shuichi were surprised, to say the least. Only veteran fighters could retain such wisdom.

'_Just something else to add to her mystery' _Youko stated.

'Indeed' replied Shuichi, clearly perplexed by her statement.

Within a few minutes, the movie had ended, with a triumphant victory for the heroes and a happy ending. Youko had ceded control back to Shuichi, but didn't fail to notice Kagome's almost disappointed expression.

"Is something the matter?" Kurama asked her as they exited the theater.

"Its nothing. I just get annoyed when every movie has to end with a happy ending. It just makes it all the more unrealistic."

"I agree, but what makes you say that?" he prodded.

"Well, let's just say that I've learned from previous experiences that not every tale can end that way" she replied.

'_Ask her what she means by that' _Youko encouraged.

Shuichi was about to fulfill his request when an unwanted, yet familiar, voice caught his attention.

"Ah, Shuichi, there you are. We…I mean I was looking all over for you today."

Kurama turned around, mentally cursing his bad luck when he recognized her as one of the girls that had chased him into the park.

"I'm sorry. Sanda, was it? I had other business to attend to this afternoon" he replied, scanning the area to look for a suitable escape.

"Awww! You remembered my name!" she exclaimed dreamily.

'_Just kill her and be done with it' _Youko hissed annoyingly.

Shuichi chose to ignore his counterpart, but quickly considered it as the next event played out.

"So, who is this, might I ask" Sanda questioned, eyeing Kagome up and down.

"Kagome Higurashi. Pleased to meet you" Kagome replied, bowing in greeting.

Sanda scowled at Kagome. "So, is she your girlfriend or something."

Kurama was about to reply, but was beat to it. "No, we're more like friends" answered Kagome politely.

"Well, you look to more than friends in my opinion, especially with the way you're hovering all over MY Shuichi" she spat, noticing how close they were standing to each other.

"Told ya so" Yusuke whispered to Keiko, who were currently standing to the side of the trio.

"Excuse me?" Kagome asked, confusion taking over friendly features.

"You heard me. He probably just found you strutting your stuff on the corner and picked you up. Now move aside." The girl went to push Kagome away from Kurama, but before the girl's hand could make contact with Kagome's shoulder, she sidestepped the attack, causing Sanda to fall forward. Kagome extended her arms out to the girl, not wanting her to fall, but Sanda grabbed the bottom of Kagome's shirt. The sound of ripping fabric filled the air, the falling girl landing on the ground, clutching a piece of cloth in her hand.

Kagome looked mortified. She had ripped the entire right side of her shirt off, exposing her hip and part of her lower back to everyone's eyes.

"Damn, Kagome. What happened to you?" Yusuke asked, eyeing the gruesome scars on her back.

"Yusuke" Keiko whispered a hint of warning in her voice.

Kagome's eyes began to moisten with unshed tears. She hated it when she had to explain her scars to others. She had received one of two reactions; repulsion or pity. And the truth was that she had learned to prefer the repulsion over the sympathy, hating it when people felt sorry for her due to her disfigurement.

Noticing her glassy eyes, Kurama quickly removed his over shirt, draping it over Kagome's shoulders to hide her exposed body from view, but not before taking in an eyeful. Kagome looked up at him gratefully, but as they turned to leave, Sanda jumped up from the floor, Kagome's shirt still clutched in her hand.

"See, Shuichi. She's deformed, so how could you want to be seen with the likes of her?" she said haughtily.

Kurama turned to look at her, contempt radiating from his being.

"If you even try to approach myself or my friends again, I will personally make you regret it" he replied in a deadly tone, Youko backing him up.

The girl was speechless, to say the least. Kurama began walking again, thankful that the annoying girl chose to remain silent.

The passengers of the car remained silent for most of the way home, still shocked over the night's most recent events.

'_How in the hell did she get those scars?' _Youko asked, more or less to himself than to Shuichi.

'I don't know, but it must have been traumatic, since I gather that what we've seen is only a portion of what's on her back."

'_But what situation could she have possibly been in that would have caused her to obtain that type of injury? They look like claw marks to me.'_

'Yes they do, but I don't think that now is the right time to ask her about them. We will probably need to wait until she is ready to share that information.'

Youko remained silent for a moment, considering his counterpart's words. '_For once, I agree with you on that. But on another note, did you see how she reacted to the attack. She completely avoided it like it was nothing.'_

'I noticed that too. Perhaps she has taken some form of martial arts' he offered.

Their attention was brought back to their surroundings when Kagome spoke, the first time since their encounter with Sanda.

"Well, I guess you all are wondering how I received these scars?" she asked, not bothering to look up from her squirming hands.

Everyone remained silent, and Kagome took that as her cue to answer them.

"It happened about a year ago, when a really big dog approached our home. Being as naive as I am, I approached it, thinking it was friendly. It wasn't until I was in arm's reach of the dog when I realized that it was aggressive. I tried to run from it, but the dog attacked me, scratching up my back" she explained solemnly, not once looking up. She hoped they would believe her story, knowing that if it was her, that she wouldn't believe a word of it. But it was the best excuse she could come up with.

Everyone remained silent as they digested the information. Well, everyone except Youko.

'_That's bullshit. Those aren't scratches, those are lacerations, too deep to have been caused by a normal dog. Plus, there were five marks, and if I'm correct, dogs only have four claws on their front paws. It looks more like they were done by a hand with extremely sharp claws' _Youko explained, illustrating by flexing his own.

'I agree, but there must be a good reason why she won't tell the truth.'

'_Exactly. It's because she's hiding something.'_

Shuichi remained silent for a moment. 'As I said before, we'll just have to wait until she's ready to give us that information. Judging by her reaction to us seeing them, she is very uncomfortable with people knowing about it.'

A very perturbed Youko stayed silent, brooding over the newest mystery that had been added to his list concerning the girl.

Shuichi returned his attention to Kagome, trying to think of something to say that would make her feel better.

"I'm sorry that this happened. It's my fault, and if there's anything that I can do to make it up to you, just let me know."

"Well, if you two start hanging out more, you could always hire a bodyguard for her" Yusuke spluttered out, turning to face the couple in the back so they could see his playful grin.

Kagome choked back a laugh when she saw Yusuke's face, quickly wiping away the tears that threatened to fall. It's not like she couldn't handle being threatened by other girls. Hell, this was nothing compared to Kikyou coming after her life due to her association with Inuyasha.

"Don't worry about it Shuichi. You had no way of knowing that that would have happened. Besides, I was warned" she explained, playfully glaring at the still smirking Yusuke.

Satisfied that Kagome was no longer upset, Kurama chose to drop the subject. As they approached Kurama's apartment, he began to wonder when he would next be able to see Kagome again, hoping that tonight's experience wouldn't scare her off. When the car came to a stop, he reached over, grasping Kagome's small hand, placing a chaste kiss on it.

"I do hope to enjoy your company again, Kagome" he said with sincerity.

"Well, I think we could all do without the stripping of Kagome part again" Yusuke joked again. All the outburst earned him was another playful glare from Kagome and a swat upside the head from Keiko.

"Me too" she replied shyly.

Kurama once again gave her one of his most charming smiles, reluctantly placing her hand back in her lap. He stepped out of the car, waving as it sped off.

A/N: I would like to thank all my reviewers ) If you see any mistakes, or have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to tell me.

Fox Vixen , PrincessRock323, BrokenSouledPoetess , Reiti Hecam, moonscout11 tbiris

Kuramas gurl: thanks again for the correction!

Ayeka Penor Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

Kin-chan Pandun: Um..wow, I don't know what to say. I'm flattered that you like my story, and I hope I don't disappoint anyone. To tell you the truth, I kinda know where this is going, but I've been writing this as I go along. Thank you for the movie suggestion…I was at a standstill with how I wanted to do that scene, and as you can see, I used your suggestion.

Imaginative Love:

Thanks Kage Otome and Saphir for the wonderful reviews.


	5. Chapter 5

Shippo walked along the dirt road, following behind the demoness as she led the way. He regretted having agreed to do this, not that he didn't want to help or anything, but that he just wanted to find out when he could finally see Kagome. He sighed, the thought of how long it had been since he had seen her kind face leaving an indescribable pang in his chest. It had been what, almost five hundred years since had seen his beloved miko, and he missed her greatly.

It had been hard for all of them to comprehend what had happened between her and Inuyasha. Miroku, Sango, and even himself had been sure that things would work out between the two, but had been devastated when they had realized what must have happened.

flashback

Sango and Miroku sat by the campfire, Shippo perched comfortably on the houshi's shoulder and Kirara curled up in her mistress's lap. They had been discussing what their plans were for the future, deciding that with the destruction of Naraku and the healing of Miroku's hand, that they would return to Kaede's village and establish a home for themselves. Miroku had been slightly relieved that Sango hadn't taken Kohaku's death too hard, having realized a while back that even if he were to regain his memories, that he would have lived a very hard life full of regret and pain. They planned to visit Taijiya village once more to erect a marker for the boy, even though they had no body to bury. The only evidence they had of his death was the fact that Naraku and Kagome had all the shards in their possession before the final battle.

Miroku glanced over to his future bride. He had fallen in love with her along their journey, but had never proceeded with it due to his cursed hand, not wanting to settle in a relationship and then leave her if the curse took his life. She had already lost so many important people in her life, and he didn't want to cause her more grief by abandoning her.

The group had remained quiet for a while, the three lost in their own musings, although all had the same thought on their mind; their time traveling miko and their hanyou friend. They all knew that Kagome had family and responsibilities in her own time, but hoped that she would somehow keep her ability to travel to their time. She meant so much to all of them. A sister to Sango, a dear friend to Miroku, and a mother to Shippo.

When Inuyasha had come to retrieve Kagome, they all held the same idea as to what he wanted to talk about, and hoped that the hanyou would not be foolish enough to throw away her unwavering love. The group had witnessed the heartache that he had caused her, especially when it concerned Kikyou, but she remained steadfast in her love for him, remaining by his side through thick and thin.

Shippo was the first to break through the silence, getting anxious since it had been a few hours since the couple had left.

"Where's Kagome. I want her to take a bath with me tonight" he whined.

"Patient kit. You know that Kagome will return to us when she has finished talking with Inuyasha" Miroku replied.

Shippo pouted. "But what if he makes her mad again and she goes home?"

"Shippo, you know that Kagome wouldn't leave without telling us goodbye first" answered Sango, hoping that she was right.

"What do think is taking them so long?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Well, Shippo, when two adults have feelings for one another…" Miroku stopped mid sentence when he caught the glare that Sango was sending his way, promising death if he continued.

Shippo looked between the two, confusion evident on his childish face. "What he means by that, Shippo, is that Kagome and Inuyasha need some time alone" Sango explained.

Shippo nodded his head, not really understanding what she meant by that, but decided to not push the subject any longer.

Shortly before midnight, the four decided to call it night. Sango spread out on the sleeping bag that Kagome had given to her, Kirara and Shippo curling up beside her. Miroku leaned back against a nearby tree, but sleep was elusive for the houshi, a feeling of foreboding nudging at his mind.

The group woke with the dawn, gathering their supplies along with Kagome's yellow book bag. They headed towards Kaede's village, hoping to meet up with their two missing comrades. Shortly before noon they reached their destination, immediately approaching Kaede's hut. That was when the old miko informed them that she hadn't seen Inuyasha or Kagome, causing the small group to become concerned.

"Shippo, do you think that you could pick up on Kagome and Inuyasha's scent if we go looking for them?" asked Sango.

Shippo puffed up his chest with pride, glad that he could finally be of some help. "Sure can, but where do we start?" he asked.

"I think it would be best if we could start where we last saw them, which would be back at the campsite" stated Miroku.

The group thought about it for a moment, not liking the idea of having to travel that far. But the safety of their friends was more important, so after leaving any unnecessary supplies at Kaede's hut, they retraced their footsteps.

A few hours later, they reached their previous campsite. Miroku stopped, setting the kit on the ground. Shippo immediately sniffed the area, picking up on his foster mother's scent, intertwined with Inuyasha's. Shippo bounded off into the forest, excited at the prospect of finding his Kagome. After another few hours, the group entered a small clearing, instantly recognizing the Goshinboko.

"Are you sure this where their scents end Shippo?" Miroku asked, surveying the area.

"Yep" he replied enthusiastically, smelling the ground with more verger. "I smell Inuyasha, Kagome, and…" Shippo raised his head to look at his companions, fear evident in his eyes.

"What is it?" Sango asked, worried about his reaction.

"Clay and death" he replied solemnly.

"Kikyou" Sango and Miroku stated at the same time. That had always been the scent that Inuyasha had recognized as the once dead miko, and the prospect of her being here sent shivers of dread up their spines.

"Do you smell anything else?" Miroku asked of Shippo, but the kit was too distraught to answer.

Kirara growled, leaping from Sango's arms to the ground. "What's wrong, Kirara?" Sango asked, following the neko to the edge of the clearing. She stopped at one particular tree, sniffing the ground, her fur immediately puffing up as her growling intensified.

Shippo ran over to her, freezing in his steps as a faint metallic scent wafted to his nose. He looked up at Sango and Miroku, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Its…its…Kagome's blood" he sniffled out, leaping into Sango's arms. The group remained silent for a moment, all trying to digest their findings, when their attention was drawn to Kirara's soft 'mew'. No sooner than she had vocalized her warning, she bounded off into the forest. Miroku and Sango exchanged glances before following their friend, Shippo still clinging to the Taijiya.

Kirara lead them straight to the bone eater's well, sliding to a stop. Miroku approached the aged structure, looking around for any clues. Sango nudged Shippo gently, urging him to look at her. He responded to her request, lifting his tear stained face.

"Shippo, we really need your help right now. Can you tell us what Kirara can't?" Sango asked gently.

Shippo nodded his head slightly, jumping to the ground. "I…I smell more of Kagome's blood, and Inuyasha. But her scent ends at the well" he replied.

Miroku considered all of the possibilities to their findings. Considering that Kikyou was most likely involved, Kagome was either attacked by one or both of the ill-fated couple.

"Do you smell anything that would suggest that Kikyou was here?" he asked, wanting to substantiate his theories more.

"No, I think that she stayed as the Goshinboko" Shippo answered with a sniffle.

"What are you thinking, houshi?" Sango asked.

Miroku sighed. He still didn't have a concrete idea of what had happened, but all the evidence so far pointed to the assumption that Kagome had indeed returned to her time. Unharmed, most likely not, considering the trail of blood. But he knew that his time traveling friend was very resilient, and that he could only hope for the best.

"We can only hope that she somehow made it back to her time."

With that, the distressed group headed back to Kaede's, hoping that they would soon find out the fate of their friend.

End Flashback

A few weeks later, Sango and Miroku had been approached by Sesshoumaru, wanting to leave his ward, Rin, with them while he took care of some business. That was when the Taiyoukai had informed them that Inuyasha had apparently been dragged to hell with his 'walking corpse' as he so put it. They had been saddened by the fate of the hanyou, but also relieved, knowing that Kikyou wouldn't have done that if she had somehow stolen Kagome's soul.

Shippo was brought out of his reverie when the soft-spoken demoness's voice reached his ears. "Are you ok?" she asked, concern evident in her eyes.

"Yeah, just thinking" he replied.

She turned back around, seeming to accept his answer. "So, where were you and your friend heading?"

Shippo considered how forthcoming of information he should be with the girl, but deciding that she was harmless, he could at least answer some of her questions, being as vague as possible, of course.

"We were on our way to meet with an ally of ours."

"Oh." Nari remained silent for a moment, but quickly picked up the small talk again.

"So, who is this Kagome girl I overheard you and your friend talking about? Is she someone special to you?" she asked innocently.

Shippo stopped momentarily, suspicious on how she knew that, but remembered that Kouga hadn't been exactly quiet with their conversation. Nari noticed when he faltered, immediately scolding herself for being so nosy.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the wolf, and the way you two were talking about her made her sound like a very interesting person" she said, hoping that it would make up for her mistake.

Shippo shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. With Kouga's big mouth, I would bet that every youkai in the tavern overheard our conversation. But to answer your question, she is kinda like a mother to me."

Nari's eyebrow's rose a bit at the revelation. From the impression that she had received from their discussion, the girl had sounded human.

"Is she a youkai?"

"Nope, human" he replied, instantly regretting revealing that much information. He was relieved when the demoness changed the subject, informing him that they would soon reach her home.

They approached the gate in silence, Shippo turning to Nari to bid her farewell.

"Wait. You must come in" Nari stated with fake worry in her voice.

"I'm sorry, but I really need to be on my way" Shippo replied, turning to leave.

"Please. If I don't come in with someone, my mother will assume that I came back alone and I will be severely punished" she begged, trying to put as much dread into her voice as possible.

Why did he have to be such a softy? He sighed as he turned back around. "I guess a few more minutes couldn't hurt."

"Thank you!" she replied excitedly, skipping off towards the entrance of her home with the kitsune close on her heals.

Kagome strolled through the park from the day before, heading towards the forest that housed the temple she had discovered. She had awoken early that morning, offering to help Keiko with the restaurant, but much to her relief, Keiko turned her down, telling her that she should go out and do something. Keiko had immediately suggested that she call Shuichi, reminding her that she still had his shirt in her possession, but Kagome was still a bit embarrassed about the incident the night before and she really didn't want to lead him on. Sure, she was attracted to him, and he was a really nice guy, but she still wanted to remain single. She had realized shortly after her return that it would be unfair to get involved with anyone seriously and not let them truly know her in return.

As she neared the edge of the forest, she felt a prickling sensation at the back of her mind, signifying that a youkai was in the area. She stopped for a moment, focusing on the feeling, realizing that it was the same youkai from the day before. Kagome pondered on whether she should turn back, but quickly dismissed the idea. She wasn't going to let anything stand in her way of grasping her uncontrolled energy. She began walking again, but remained alert to the now familiar presence. As she entered the dense foliage, she promptly located a path. All she had found pertaining to the location was a very vague map, but considered it a challenge. If she could navigate the forests of Sengoku Jidai, then she could find a temple. Hell, for all she knew, she had probably romped through this exact same forest with her friends five hundred years ago.

Kagome continued on the path, noticing that the youkai's presence wasn't getting any further away, nor any closer. She chose to ignore that fact, knowing that it was probably following her. She instead focused her attention on the raw beauty surrounding her, although it was nothing compared to the wilderness of the past. She sighed as memories of her friends and their journeys flowed through her mind, tensing as her heart tightened with longing. She had tried to return through the well after she had recovered, wanting to see her friends, knowing that they would be very worried. But no matter how many times she tried, the well wouldn't allow her passage. Her attention, though, was drawn to the sky when a roll of thunder echoed around her. She smiled as the clouds thickened, threatening to release the rain that it was hiding, grateful for the distraction. Not five minutes later, the soft sound of rainfall filled her senses as fat drops of rain showered the forest. She smiled even more, lifting her face towards the heavens so the rain could wash over her face, cleansing her mind and soul.

Hiei sped through the forest, intent on reaching Kurama's apartment before the kitsune could disappear again. Although he could easily track him down, he knew that if Kurama wasn't at his apartment, he was most likely in the company of the rest of the Tantei, and preferred to not interact with their two human counterparts.

He was about to reach the edge of the forest when a lone figure caught his eye. He stopped in a tree, focusing his superb eyesight on the person. His curiosity instantly perked when he recognized her as the girl from the previous day. He watched as she approached the forest, stopping as though she was analyzing something, before continuing with her course. His mind swam with questions regarding the female. Not many humans ventured into this forest, with the exception of Yusuke and Kurabara. The trees were thick, and at times almost impassible. Any normal human would become lost in an instant, and here she was, walking into the brush without hesitation. Then there was the question that had been plaguing him since he had first encountered the girl. Why did she seem aware of his presence, yet unafraid? It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that she could sense him, but she showed absolutely no fear, which was peculiar.

Deciding that the girl would entertain him more than his friend, he abandoned his plans for the day. He waited until she had put a considerable amount of distance between them before leaping off of his perch. Watching the girl, he became even more perturbed about her behavior. She seemed right at home in the forest, unlike most of the humans he had encountered. Hiei decided to move closure, immediately catching the look of sadness that consumed her delicate features. He cursed his bad luck when the smell of rain and the sound of thunder assaulted his senses, knowing the girl would probably turn back. But much to his surprise, she continued unheeded, even as it started to rain.

Hiei was captivated when she lifted her face to the sky, seeming to welcome the raindrops as they washed over her, never once faltering in her footfalls. His fine hearing caught her sigh, wondering what the female could possibly be thinking. He thought about using the Jagan, but quickly discarded the idea, knowing that it would be foolish since she was most likely aware of his presence.

After a few more minutes of traveling, Hiei realized that she was heading right for Genkai's. He felt uneasy about that revelation, knowing that if she could sense him, then she would have no problems recognizing Yukina for what she was. Normally that wouldn't bother him, but he knew not what this girl was or what she was after. Hiei's resolve thickened even more, knowing that he would need to observe the girl's reaction to Yukina and prepare for a confrontation if she tried to harm his sister.

When they were not more than a quarter of a mile from the steps of Genkai's shrine, the girl stopped, pulling out a piece of paper and a small compass. As she checked her bearings, Hiei focused on the paper, recognizing it as a crude map. Concluding that this had been her intended destination, he decided to move even closer to the girl in the hopes of frightening her away.

Hiei flashed to a tree that was near to where she was standing, but not too close to where she could see him. He smirked when she jumped, dropping the compass. Ignoring her fallen object, she whirled around to face the general area that he occupied, immediately amused at the angry scowl that appeared on her face. He expected her to run away, but what she did to the contrary caught the Jaganashi completely off guard.

"Don't do that!" she growled out annoyingly. "Did you know that it's very rude to stalk people and then sneak up on them like that" she stated, placing her hands on her hips in a scolding fashion.

Hiei paid no attention to her last remark, thinking her very foolish to speak to him like that. Figuring that he had practically blown his cover, he flashed once more, appearing directly behind the girl. She spun around to face him, her blue eyes clashing with his scarlet. The two remained that way for a moment, both giving each other their best glare. Hiei was again surprised when she didn't back down, considering almost every demon he had come across trembled in fear when he glared at them in the same way he was regarding the girl.

Hiei watched as the girl rolled her eyes, turning to retrieve her compass. His ears twitched as he heard her mumbling to her self. "Damn youkai and their stubborn attitudes."

Hiei's eyebrows rose a bit at the comment. Didn't this girl understand that if he wished it, that she could be dead in under a second. His thoughts left him, though, when she turned back around, crossing her arms over her chest. He observed her appearance more closely now, noticing how frail she looked. She didn't look like much, her soaked jeans and t-shirt clinging heavily to her body. Her hair was just as wet, contrasting greatly with her pale face as the rain continued to run down her body.

"Well?" she asked, an annoyed tone evident in her voice.

"Well what?" Hiei responded.

"Why in the hell are you following me?"

Hiei thought for a moment. Why was he following her in the first place? Remembering their proximity to Genkai's, he gave her his answer.

"You're trespassing" he stated as if it was the obvious.

"Trespassing? Do you own the entire forest or something?" she asked incredulously.

"No, but let me assure you that the temple you are seeking out does not take kindly to strangers. Now leave" he stated, turning his back to her.

If he hadn't turned around, Hiei would have caught the enraged look that took over features.

"Look here, buddy. I've been looking for a suitable temple to train in for a long time, and I'm not going to turn back now. If you're not the owner of this temple, then I have no business with you. If you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to." With that, Kagome turned on her heals, continuing on her previous course.

Hiei was pissed, to say the least. Before Kagome could so much as blink an eye, Hiei had jumped in front of her, his katana pressed firmly against her throat. Kagome's eyes widened for a moment, instantly becoming still, the only sounds being that of the rain as it splattered on Hiei's exposed blade.

Hiei watched as her initial shock turned into anger, again perplexed by her reaction. Deciding that he wanted his questions answered more than her blood spilled, he lowered his katana, placing it back at his side.

"Explain yourself women, and it had better be the truth" he demanded in a deadly tone, never taking his gaze off of her.

Hiei watched as her anger turned to confusion, but remained patient.

"Explain what?" she asked innocently. She certainly didn't want to explain herself to him.

Hiei mentally sighed. How he despised talking with humans. "Explain how it is that you can sense me."

"Oh, that? Well, that's because I'm a shrine maiden" she replied, acting like he should have known that from the start.

Hiei contemplated her answer. "You're not any normal shrine maiden. Even if you are what you say, why is it that you don't fear me as you should? If I wanted to kill you, it's obvious that it would be done before you even realized what had happened" he stated, his eyes shining with a deadly gleam.

Kagome thought about that question for a moment, tapping her chin with her finger. "Well, I don't really know. I guess it's because I figured that if you were going to actually kill me, that you would have done it by now" she replied honestly, her once angry scowl turning into a heart warming smile.

Hiei remained still for a moment, knowing the girl had a point. The only reply she got was a 'Hn' before he turned around once again. He still couldn't understand the casualness that she displayed around him, but decided to leave that for later. Figuring that the girl would be no threat to his sister and more forthcoming of information with Genkai, he leaped into the forest, letting the strange female continue with her journey.

Kagome blinked a few times in surprise at the speed in which the youkai used to depart. She sensed him moving away from her, heading in the direction that she had been currently going. She sighed, grateful that he had left her alone. Although she had not allowed him to see it, he had frightened her somewhat, the energy that he contained being very malevolent. But as she had learned from her past experiences, especially those concerning Sesshoumaru, it did no good show her fear, knowing that it did nothing but fuel them on. Looking up at the retreating rain clouds, she continued on to her intended destination.

A/N: I would like to once again thank all my reviewers for all the wonderful responses, especially Kin-chan. Your reviews rock…all the questions help the gears in my head start turning ). And to answer your question, the girl from the movie theater was trying to shove Kagome, but since she dodged, the girl started to fall, hence the ripped shirt. Hope that helps!


	6. Chapter 6

Shippo followed behind the skipping girl, hoping that he would be able to make this quick. He was pretty sure that Kouga could handle things with Sesshoumaru, since he had centuries of politics under his belt from being the leader of his clan, but he still wanted to be there to hear the information for himself.

As they neared the manor, he was astounded by the size, questioning if it could rival Lord Sesshoumaru's. He proceeded to follow the girl through the entrance, the two double doors closing behind them with a soft click. His eyes had to adjust to the dark room, and once they had, he immediately glanced around, noticing the rich tapestries and fine artifacts that littered the walls and tables. A large winding staircase stood in the middle of the room, an expensive looking chandelier hanging above it.

"Why don't you sit and I'll be right back" she asked, motioning to a comfortable looking chair that rested along the wall.

Shippo nodded his head, taking the girl's suggestion. As soon as he was seated, the girl bounced off towards the staircase, taking two steps at a time. Shippo chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm, remembering when he had been like that. Although he had never really gotten over Kagome's sudden departure, with the help of Miroku and Sango he had eventually come to terms with what had happened. He had made his home with the odd couple, helping them to raise their many children. It had been hard for him when they had finally passed away, but he continued to live with their children, and their children's children until he was forced into Makai.

He had been terrified when he had been driven into Makai, having been used to living with humans. But he had quickly located Kouga, and then Sesshoumaru, and with their guidance, he had carved out his own territory. They had all formed an alliance with each other, never forgetting that it was all due to Kagome's influence. If it hadn't been for her, they would have most likely not even crossed paths, and Shippo was even more sure that he wouldn't have even survived if it hadn't been for her acceptance of him and the introduction to

Shippo's attention was directed towards the staircase when he heard the sound of footsteps. The girl bounded down the stairs toward him, a goofy smile plastered on her face.

"She'll be right down. Are you comfortable?" she asked.

"Yeah." Shippo answered.

Nari took a seat in a chair next to him, winding a piece of her curly blonde hair around her slender finger. They sat in silence for a while, before Shippo realized something.

"Hey, I never did get your name."

Nari's eyes widened a bit, realizing that was true. "I'm sorry, you must think that I am so rude. But it's Nari" she answered, a faint blush overcoming her cheeks.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't ask, so you didn't tell" he replied, shrugging his shoulders. He had just started relaxing when he was alerted to another presence. He gazed up the steep staircase, squinting his eyes to get a better look at the figure approaching them. When they had stepped into the light, Shippo could hardly contain his gasp. She had to have been the most beautiful demoness that he had ever seen, her dark black hair descending past her waist. Her eyes were the color of violets, and seemed to sparkle in the dim lighting. But as she neared them, something in the back of his mind screamed danger. He quickly abandoned his seat, wanting to get the introduction over with so he could be on his way. The demoness glided towards them gracefully, stopping only a few feet from Shippo.

"So, is this the kitsune who brought you home?" the woman asked of Nari, eyeing the youkai up and down. Shippo shivered slightly, her intense glare making all of the hair on his body stand up.

"Yes mam" she replied in a childlike voice.

"Well, then I must thank you for bringing my ward safely home. I don't know how to repay you."

"Don't worry about it. It was my pleasure. But if you will excuse me, I really must get going" he replied in a shaky voice. Something about this woman was wrong. He didn't know what, and didn't want to find out.

"Nonsense. You must be hungry and exhausted. Why don't you stay for the night and leave in the morning in a more refreshed state" she offered.

"No. As I said, I'm in a hurry" he replied, turning for the door, but the woman appeared before him. He took an instinctive step back as she reached a clawed hand out towards his shoulder, but was stopped when he bumped into Nari. Before he knew what was happening, he felt her hand grasp his shoulder firmly. His surroundings began to swirl around him as a feeling of fatigue and hunger washed over him.

Nari giggled, supporting the kitsune as he experienced the vertigo that was common when being forced under Tarasu's influence. She watched in amusement as a blank look overtook his usually serious expression, his once vibrant eyes glazing over slightly in his stupor.

"Well, I guess I could stay a bit" he mumbled out as if he were intoxicated.

"Now that's more like it" Tarasu purred into his ear before releasing his shoulder. "Nari, why don't you notify the servants of our new guest, making sure they prepare a bath and some food for him. I'll take the pleasure of showing him to his room.

"Hai!" the girl exclaimed, hurrying off to do her mistresses bidding. She was very proud of herself, having found an exceptional specimen. When she had first informed Tarasu of her find, and the possible information that he held, her mistress had been very pleased indeed. Luckily for the kit, he wouldn't become Tarasu's next victim, at least not yet.

"Now, come this way" instructed Tarasu, clasping Shippo's large hand in hers. He followed dazedly behind her up the staircase into a long hallway. They walked a ways before stopping in front of a large door, which Tarasu opened. The room was considerably plain compared to the rest of the manor, a large four-post bed and other meager furniture occupying the small room.

"Now, all I ask is that you remain in this room unless escorted by me or my ward. Do you understand?" she asked, gazing intently into his glassy green eyes. Shippo nodded his head dumbly, letting her lead him to the bed.

"Now rest" she commanded before releasing his hand. He obeyed her without a word, sprawling out on the mattress, instantly falling into a dreamless sleep. Tarasu gazed down on her newly acquired prize, a feeling of pride swelling in her chest. If Nari was correct on her assumptions about this kitsune, he would be the most valuable quarry that she had managed to get her hands on.

"The Shikon no Tama" she whispered to herself. She had heard many rumors pertaining to the jewel, the most famous one being the wish that it would grant its owner. But it just wasn't the jewel that she was interested in. The protector of the jewel would have to be a very powerful being to possess it, and that would be another trophy that she could add to her list. All she had to do was compel the kit to give her the information that she wanted and devise a plan to lure the guardian to into her grasp, and the kit seemed willing enough with the right encouragement.

Deciding to leave the interrogation to later, she left the bedchamber, intent on fulfilling her promise to her companion.

Kagome reached the staircase that she assumed led to the shrine that she was seeking just as the rain had ceased, gazing up the steep incline before proceeding. To any normal person, this climb would most likely leave even the most fit person winded, but to Kagome it was nothing. Not only did she have to climb stairs like this at her home, keeping up with an inu hanyou had built up her endurance greatly. As she reached the top, she almost stumbled under the immense amount of power that washed over her, her entire body throbbing. But as her senses settled, a feeling of contentment consumed her being. Once she had felt that she had properly grounded herself, she continued on, approaching what she assumed was the courtyard of the temple, taking in every detail of her surroundings.

She continued to peruse the area, stopping when her eyes rested upon a girl hanging laundry out to dry. But as Kagome inspected the girl, her eyes widened a bit as she quickly realized that this was no ordinary girl, but another youkai. Blue eyes continued to watch the girl who seemed oblivious to her presence, her turquoise hair billowing slightly from the breeze. Sensing no danger from the female, Kagome slowly approached her, clearing her throat to gain her attention so not as to startle her.

Crimson eyes met with hers, looking slightly surprised by her appearance, but the youkai quickly recovered, greeting Kagome with a brilliant smile. The girl pushed aside the laundry, walking over to Kagome with her hands clasped gently in front of her.

When they had finally reached each other, the youkai was the first to speak.

"Hello. Is there something I can help you with?" she asked, kindness lacing her voice.

Kagome bowed to the girl in greeting. "Yes there is, actually. I was hoping to be allowed an audience with the resident priest or priestess, if possible" Kagome asked with sincerity.

The ruby-eyed girl seemed to contemplate her request before answering. "Well, I'm sorry to inform you that there isn't an actual priest or priestess that resides here" she answered, instantly noticing Kagome's disappointed look. "But, there is a psychic that resides here" she answered, hoping to dispel the girls unhappiness.

Kagome instantly perked up. It wasn't exactly what she was looking for, but if this person interacted with youkai on a regular basis and could produce the amount of energy that she sensed, then maybe they could be of some help to her after all.

"Is there anyway I could meet with them?" Kagome asked hopefully.

The youkai thought over the Kagome's request before answering. "I don't know if she is willing to accept visitors at the moment, but I will go and see. If you want to wait here, I will go inform her of your arrival" she answered politely before turning towards the main house.

Kagome watched the retreating form of the polite girl, hoping that she would be granted what she had asked. As she waited, she spread her senses out even more, relishing in the tranquility of the place. She immediately noticed the youkai from before, wondering why he was still watching her. She pondered as to how he was connected with the temple and its inhabitants, but concluded that they must be important to him since he had been weary of letting her come here.

She recalled their encounter, trying to organize her thoughts on him. He was very powerful, that she didn't doubt despite his small size. He had been about her height, with the hair, chuckling to her self as she imagined how much shorter he would have been without it. His energy had felt malevolent, but he him self hadn't felt evil, per say. She had no doubt that he could be a very formidable enemy, or a very helpful ally, and hoped that he would somehow become the latter of the two.

Kagome was brought out of her musings when she saw the youkai exit the house, heading back towards her. She waited patiently for the girl to reach her, hoping that all would go well. Once she had reached Kagome, she informed her that her request would be granted.

"If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the dojo" she instructed, turning once more towards the dwelling. They walked in silence until the youkai spoke up again.

"My name is Yukina, by the way. What's yours?" she asked in a friendly manner.

"I'm sorry. I'm Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Kagome, and I hope that all goes well for you" Yukina offered as they walked up the steps to reach the long porch.

"Thank you" Kagome replied graciously. Yukina approached a shoji screen, sliding it open to reveal a well kept dojo, motioning for Kagome to enter.

"Now, if you'll just wait here, Genkai will be with you shortly" Yukina explained before sliding the shoji shut, leaving Kagome alone in the training hall.

Kagome's eyes adjusted quickly to the indoor lighting, as her attention was drawn to one particular wall which was adorned with an array of weapons, most of which were katanas. But one particular set interested her the most, and that was a large bow, mounted off to the side. She walked over to it, running her fingers over the smooth wood of the weapon longingly. It had been too long since she had fired an arrow, and although she had been awful at archery, she had quickly picked up on it since it was her only means of self-defense.

She jumped slightly at the sound of the shoji sliding open, turning around to meet her visitor. She assumed that the old woman was Genkai, and hoped that she hadn't offended her by inspecting her collection. Much to Kagome's relief, the woman seemed unaffected by Kagome's curiosity, gesturing for her to take a seat in the center of the wooden floor. Kagome followed her as she walked to the opposite side of the dojo, taking a seat on the floor, crossing her legs under in an indian style fashion.

Kagome followed suit, folding her legs under her. Kagome remained still as her elder inspected her, trying not to squirm under the scrutiny of her gaze.

"What has brought you here today?" Genkai asked, never taking her eyes off of the girl in front of her.

Kagome bowed to the woman, her forehead coming to rest on the backside of her hands.

"I have come here in search of a suitable teacher, one who can help me to better control my energies" Kagome answered, rising up to a sitting position once again.

Genkai considered what the girl asked. "What makes you think that I could be of any help to you?"

"Well, from the energies that I have sensed so far from your temple, I believe that you may have the knowledge to aid me" she answered confidently.

"From what I sense from you, you seem like any ordinary human. What could I possibly teach you?"

Kagome sighed, knowing what she would have to do. She hadn't released the concealment spell that she had placed on herself since she had cast it, but knew if she was going to persuade this woman, she would have to show her.

Genkai watched patiently as the Kagome closed her eyes, relaxing into a meditative state. Kagome focused all of her thought inward, searching for the power that was usually elusive. Once she had located it, she reached out to it, coaxing it to come forward.

Genkai's eyes widened in shock as the girl's aura filled the dojo, the immense purity that it contained almost overwhelming even her senses.

Kagome opened her eyes once her objective had been achieved, waiting for Genkai to speak before explaining herself. Genkai looked over the girl again, but in a completely different fashion. She had thought that this type of energy had become all but extinct after the formation of the barriers.

"Explain yourself" Genkai demanded, curious as to how such a girl could possess so much energy.

Kagome refocused on her power again, this time coaxing it into a dormant state. She swayed for a moment as her power was drawn back into her, but once she was sure that it was contained, she returned her attention back to her elder.

"Its not a very believable story, I must warn you, but I assume that you will be open minded enough since you associate with youkai."

Genkai's eyebrows rose a bit at that remark, but chose to remain silent.

Kagome took her silence as a cue to continue. "It all started when I was fifteen. It was then that I realized that I was the reincarnation of a powerful miko, one who lived long ago during what I suspect was the feudal era. It was then that I started having regressions, the odd part being that they were mostly of what appears to be the reincarnation before myself. I have somehow retained all of her memories, along with her abilities" she explained, but not as truthfully as she could have been.

Genkai digested the information before asking any questions. "Do you know exactly who this miko was?"

Kagome sighed once more, not liking to bring up that one revealing factor. But she knew that in order to convince the women to aid her, that she would have to explain everything, even if she did have to twist some of the information.

"From what I recollect, the miko was once named Kikyou, guardian of the Shikon no Tama, but for some reason, the second reincarnation's name has remained a mystery to me."

Genkai continued to inspect the girl, but with more care than before. Sensing no lies, she continued with the conversation. "That would explain the amount of purity that resides in your soul. But what of the Shikon?"

"That I do not know. From what I've seen, it was in the possession of the second reincarnation, but as of her fate, I do not know" she explained as truthfully as she could, for it was true that she had no idea what fate would deal her.

Genkai squinted her eyes at the girl, knowing that she was leaving something out. She considered calling her on it, but decided that if the girl was indeed hiding something, that it was probably for good reason.

"You seem to have a good enough handle on your power, so what do you need of me?" she questioned.

"Well, it seems that when I get overly upset, or have a particular disturbing flashback, my energy flows from me uncontrollably. I fear that if it continues, that I will either hurt someone or call unwanted attention to myself" she explained.

"That could be a problem indeed" Genkai mused, thinking over the girl's predicament. "But tell me, how do you know of youkai."

"For one, I was born and raised in a Shinto shrine, and have been taught all the lore pertaining to youkai and mononoke, and as I've said before, I have retained most if not all of the memories of my past incarnations. It seems that both had very close relationships with youkai, and when I see the memories, it's as if I'm reliving them first hand" Kagome explained.

Genkai accepted her answer for the time being as she pondered over how to help the girl. Although she was an expert with spirit energy, she only had a scant amount of knowledge when it came to miko powers.

"To tell you the truth, I really don't know how much help I can offer you. I know little to nothing about miko abilities of how to train them."

Kagome shifted her eyes to a downcast position, the disappointment evident on her fine features.

"But, your story had intrigued me greatly, so I will do some research and see what I can come up with. If I can find a way to help you, all that I ask in return is the history of your past incarnations so they can be properly recorded. True accounts of the Shikon no Tama would be invaluable."

Kagome's head shot up at the offer, excitement quickly dissolving her disappointment. "I can see no problem with that" Kagome replied, relieved that the woman would at least try to help her.

"Return in a week, and we will see how my findings can be of use to you" Genkai instructed as she rose from her position on the floor.

Kagome followed suit, bowing respectively one last time before exiting the dojo. She scanned the courtyard, and when she had located the object of her search, she jumped off the porch. She wanted to see Yukina once more before she left, knowing that they would most likely become good friends.

Yukina was sitting on a bench underneath a tree, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Kagome slid in next to the youkai, and the pair stared off into the sky, both comfortable in each other's company.

"Did all go well?" Yukina asked.

"Hopefully. I won't know anything definitely until next week, though" Kagome replied thoughtfully.

"Well, Genkai has never been one to let a challenge slip by her." Yukina turned her attention to Kagome, giving her a wink.

Kagome smiled back, grateful for the encouraging information. The two remained silent for a while, until Kagome's musings were once again captured on a spiky haired youkai, the tingling sensation that signified his presence as strong as ever.

"Yukina?"

"Hm?"

"You wouldn't by chance know a short, black haired youkai, would you? One that hangs around this forest" Kagome asked, not caring that he would hear.

"Oh", Yukina replied, surprised that Kagome would know of him. "You mean Hiei?"

"I don't know. He never told me his name. He was just about my height, with the hair, and had a katana. Kinda rude if ya ask me." Kagome explained, rolling the name around in her head. For some reason she could have sworn she had heard it before.

"Yeah, that sounds like Hiei all right. How did you meet him?"

"He stalked me through the forest, and when I had almost reached the steps, he confronted me, telling me that I was trespassing" Kagome replied, amusement evident in her eyes.

Yukina shook her head a bit as she laughed. "Once again, that sounds like Hiei."

Hiei watched from a nearby tree as the strange girl approached his sister, preparing to defend her if the need arose. He relaxed a bit when the girl announced herself and seemed to have a friendly encounter with Yukina. He knew that he was being over protective, knowing that the human girl couldn't do any real damage if she tried, but he still felt that he had to make sure that Yukina was safe.

Hiei watched as Yukina headed back towards the house, the dark haired girl staying behind. He assumed that his sister was going to tell Genkai about her arrival, his curiosity about the girl once again spiking. He recalled that the girl had said something about training, but for what, he couldn't understand. She seemed even weaker than Kurabara, but then again, she could sense him.

His sister quickly returned, fetching the girl for Genkai. Hiei took that as his chance to move closer, picking up on their conversation. His ears perked up when he heard Yukina ask for her name. Kagome. Kagome Higurashi.

Hiei observed as Kagome entered the dojo, and once Genkai had followed, he took that as his cue to move closer. He perched himself comfortably in a nearby tree that was within earshot of the conversation. He listened as they went through the normal introductions, wondering what Genkai would do.

He heard as Genkai accused her of what he himself had thought, that she seemed like an ordinary human girl. He listened as the dojo grew quiet, and nearly fell out of the tree when a strong, powerful aura permeated the air. Hiei quickly righted himself, unconsciously rubbing his arms to soothe the hairs that were standing on end. He hadn't felt anything like this before…it was so pure, yet it was tinged with something. As he focused on the taint, he quickly recognized it, being something that he had been all too familiar with in the past, and that was sorrow. He knew that without the Jagan eye, that it would have most likely gone undetected, and had to fight the urge to delve deeper into it.

As quickly as it had appeared, the energy receded, leaving not even the faintest of traces. Hiei was amazed that the girl possessed so much energy, and wondered how she kept it concealed. He listened more intently as Genkai demanded an explanation, and what he heard made his fine eyebrows raise considerably. The reincarnation of the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. So he had been right about his assumptions that she was no ordinary shrine maiden.

Her explanation as to why she needed training corresponded with the sorrow that he had felt intertwined with her energy, and he knew first hand how uncontrollable energies could become when coupled with unbalanced emotion. Hiei listened attentively as she also discussed her ability to sense and recognize youkai, and though the answer seemed viable, there was still something odd about her behavior. Even if her past incarnations had had close relationships with youkai, that still didn't explain how she had reacted to him. It was as if she had encountered youkai firsthand dozens of times.

Hiei's scowl turned into an amused smirk as he overheard their arrangements, hoping that Genkai would come through. He was now more curious about Kagome then he was to begin with, and if she were to remain at the temple for training, Hiei was confident that he would be able to find out more about her.

He flashed to another tree when he heard footsteps resounding through the dojo, not wanting to be seen directly. Kagome was the first to exit, and he watched as she located Yukina, taking a seat next to her. When their conversation shifted towards him, he had to fight he urge to interrupt their prattling. So, she thought him rude. That was fine, since he knew he could be much worse.

The two females quickly finished up their discussion, and once they had said goodbye to one another, Kagome made her way back into the dense forest, heading towards the city. Kagome mentally smirked as the familiar presence of which she now knew as Hiei followed her on her way down the stairs. It had been too long since she had had a youkai escort, and even if that wasn't what he intended, it felt nice to have that presence anyway.

A/N: Thank you once again to all my reviewers. As far as the pairing, all will be revealed in due time. Normally I would say, but I feel that the plot has a lot to with that aspect, and revealing it would be like giving the ending away. If all goes as planned, there will be several twists in the story. Hope everyone enjoys, and keep the reviews coming!


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome continued through the forest, noting that Hiei's presence never faded, meaning that he was most likely following her again. She knew that he had probably heard the explanation that she had given Genkai, and wondered if that was the reason why he was still hanging around her. She had learned from past experiences that most youkai could not resist the pull of the Shikon no Tama, and although she masked its presence, she had no doubt that it still attracted attention to its self.

Now that he knew her secret, she wondered how he would approach her now. She had a feeling that if things worked out with Genkai, that she would most likely have more meetings with the short youkai, and although he didn't seem like the nicest of beings, she hoped that they could become friends, or at least something of the sort. If Yukina seemed at ease with his presence, then maybe he wasn't as bad as he appeared, but that still didn't mean she would let her guard down. If she had it her way, no one would ever know the true story behind the Shikon, knowing that if the wrong person caught wind of it, it could bring disaster.

Her thoughts wandered to a certain red head, and just as she had with Hiei, she began to question his motives. He seemed to be highly attracted to her, but if he was indeed youkai, then maybe it was just from the pull of the jewel. Although she had no intentions of being in a relationship with him, she still felt slightly disheartened at the thought that it wasn't really her that he was attracted to.

Kagome and her invisible companion continued on in silence, and just as the sun had begun its lazy descent towards the horizon, the forest began to thin out slightly as they neared the park. Within a matter of moments, Kagome pushed through the brush, stepping out into the almost deserted park. She came to a stop, noticing Hiei departing towards the opposite direction that she would be heading. She shrugged her shoulders, continuing on her way to Keiko's house.

Kagome dragged herself through the door, and noticing that no one was home, continued upstairs, intent on taking a hot shower. She hoped that Keiko wouldn't try and drag her out anywhere, because even though she had more stamina than most, it had been a while since she had had that kind of workout, and she was exhausted, to say the least. And then there was the stress from removing the concealment spell and replacing it. She chuckled to herself lightly at that thought, thinking it was so ironic that she possessed all that energy, yet could use almost none of it. But she hoped that she could rectify that problem with the help of Genkai.

After a long shower, Kagome quickly dressed, heading for the kitchen and then straight to bed.

As soon as Kagome had made it to the park, Hiei took that as his cue to leave her. At first he had no real reason to follow the girl back towards the city, but quickly decided that it had been a while since he had seen Kurama, using it as an excuse.

He pondered as to if he should tell the kitsune about the girl. Deciding that as long as he didn't divulge any information that connected the girl and the Shikon, it would probably be safe. For some reason, he wanted to respect the girl's privacy, and also felt that it wouldn't be the wisest thing to bring that up to Kurama's youkai side. He knew that Shuichi wouldn't bring any harm to the girl, but he wasn't too sure with Youko. He had always been a sucker for rare artifacts, and although she had claimed that she didn't know where the jewel was, didn't mean the Youko wouldn't confront her about it.

As Hiei sped towards Kurama's apartment, he questioned himself as to why he was so intrigued with the woman. She had been very annoying during their encounter, and he would have had the mind to kill her on the spot if it wasn't for his employer and the threat of imprisonment.

As Kurama's apartment building came into sight, Hiei pushed the thought to the back of his mind, leaving it for another time. Using his Jagan, he scanned the area, and to his satisfaction, said kitsune happened to be home. He hopped onto the porch, reclining against the rail to wait for his friend to notice his presence and join him outside.

'_Just call her and be done with it.'_

'We need to give her some space. I don't want us to come across as desperate' Shuichi reasoned.

'_Just make it seem like you're checking up on her, and then slip in a date. I know you can at least trick the girl into going out with us tonight.'_

Shuichi groaned, knowing that the kitsune in his mind would not just let it be. Youko had been pestering him all day about the girl. 'She is most likely still upset about last night. I don't think it would be a good time to push our selves on her.'

'_We don't need to push ourselves on her. Just convince her that she needs our company to make her feel better' _Youko suggested.

Shuichi groaned again, this time bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. He was about to give in and call Kagome when he was alerted to a familiar presence. Thankful for the distraction, he walked over to the porch, stepping out into the warm evening air.

"Long time no see, Hiei. What brings you here this fine evening?" Kurama asked as he walked over to the railing of the balcony. He rested his arms on the rail as he looked up into the sky, noting the first stars of the night as their light struggled to be recognized.

"Hn."

"I see. I take it that you became bored staying at Genkai's."

"No, I just happened to be in the area" he replied indifferently.

'_Surely you didn't come all this way do some shopping. Perhaps you missed us?' _Youko taunted, winking to him mentally. It had been too long in his opinion since he had had someone besides Shuichi to talk to, and Hiei was fun to torment.

Hiei glared at his friend, sending mental images of a very painful death if the comments continued. But all he received as a reply was the smirk that graced the lips of his red headed friend, knowing that Hiei would do no such thing.

He chose to ignore the taunts, not being in the mood for such a thing.

Genkai has taken on another apprentice, or at least has considered it Hiei informed the two as a bored expression masked his face.

Kurama looked to his side to better see his friend, his elegant eyebrows lifting in surprise.

'Really? I had assumed that Yusuke was to be the first and only of her students. How did this come to pass?' Shuichi asked.

It appears that the girl is a shrine maiden, and has asked to be trained in her abilities. 

'Interesting' Shuichi replied.

'_This is not interesting. Send him on his way and get your ass in the house and call her' _Youko snorted, clearly aggitated. He had no interest what so ever what Genkai did or did not.

'I told you, we will go see her tomorrow. I don't want to scare her off.'

Hiei's lips upturned in an evil way. So, you actually found a girl that has caught both of your attentions? 

Shuichi sighed, wishing that he had remembered to block that particular conversation from Hiei. For some reason, both him and Youko didn't want Hiei to know about her as of yet, or at least of the interesting things that he had learned of her so far.

Is that what you two were arguing over when I arrived? Amusing. Usually Youko is begging you to take their heads off Hiei replied, the amusement he felt showing clearly on his face. So, who is this girl? 

Kurama paused before answering, wondering how much he should divulge. 'She happens to be Keiko's cousin. She is staying with her for the summer' explained Shuichi.

Good. If it was one of those females from that mob that follows you around, I was seriously considering giving you a mercy killing. 

'_Like I would be interested in them' _Youko snorted, clearly offended that Hiei would even entertain that thought.

I know of kitsune reputation. They are notorious for taking any bed partner that even has a semblance of beauty. I'm actually surprised that you haven't bedded any of them so far, or at least to my knowledge 

Youko smirked from the safety of their mind. No, they hadn't, much to his dismay. Even if most of the females that they had encountered were insufferable, it still didn't mean that he wasn't attracted to them. But Shuichi had always refrained from getting involved with any of them, saying that it would be wrong to lead them on, even if it was just a one-night stand. But if Hiei wanted to badger him due to his interests in females, then two could play at that game.

'_Well, Hiei, if I'm not mistaken, it seems that you have taken quite the interest in Genkai's new student' _Youko countered smoothly.

Hiei once again shifted his glare towards his friend. You presume wrong, fox, if you think that I would have any interest in a human. A human female, none the less. 

Youko was about to reply to that statement when their attention was drawn to the sidewalk below them where two familiar people waved up at them.

"I wonder what brings them here?" Kurama asked out loud, more to him self then to his quiet friend as he reentered his home to greet his two human friends.

Once Yusuke and Kurabara were comfortably seated in his living room, the leader of their mismatched group began to explain the reason for their visit.

"Well, it seems that the toddler picked up on some strong energy somewhere near Genkai's temple and wants us to go and check it out" he replied, propping his feet up on Kurama's coffee table.

Hiei's eyes widened a bit at the information. Luckily for him he had remained on the porch with the door open, so none of his comrades caught the look on his face that would have been a dead give away. He knew what they were talking about, and he wasn't about to tell them who and what it was. He just hoped that Genkai and Yukina would he as forth coming of information as he would be. He knew that if Koenma caught wind of the girl's identity, then she would no doubt be dragged to Reikai. What Koenma would do with her, he had no idea really, but he would spare anyone the discomfort of meeting with the prince.

Kurama considered what Yusuke had said, remembering that Hiei had been in the area that day. "Hiei, weren't you in that general area today? Did you sense anything out of the ordinary?"

Hiei remained silent for a moment. He knew that it was a rarity that someone could lie to Youko and get away with it, but then again, he was no someone.

"Hn. If I had, I would have taken care of it myself. Go tell Koenma to change the battery on his damn machines and to stop wasting our time."

"Whatever. Still, I think we should still check it out. Besides, I don't want to have the rug rat breathing down my neck for not obeying orders. So who's in?" Yusuke asked as he rose from his seat.

"I'll go, but we have to stop by Genkai's so I can see my lovely Yukina" Kurabara stated, his eyes glazing over as he dreamed of seeing his love.

"Sure thing buddy. You two make such a wonderful couple. Don't you agree, Hiei?" Yusuke asked as he draped his arm around Kurabara's shoulder, a mischievious grin engulfing his face.

Kurama visibly flinched at Yusuke's words, turning his attention to the patio so he could try and counter any attacks from Hiei. Although he knew that Yusuke was practically begging for a fight, he really didn't want to replace his furniture.

When a few moments had passed by and no murder attempts had been directed at Kurabara or Yusuke, he relaxed a bit.

"I'll go. I am curious as to what could cause such a disturbance. Hiei, what about you?" Kurama asked.

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes. Let's get this over with so I can get home. I've got some sleeping to catch up on" Yusuke instructed, showing himself to the door.

Kurabara followed silently behind him, still distracted by thoughts of Yukina. Kurama chuckled, and after closing the patio door, followed his friends as they made their way into the night. As soon as they reached the street, Hiei abandoned the third story balcony, taking to the trees as he followed his companions to the same area that he had been in earlier that day.

Shippo sat in a comfortable chair, groggily eating the food off of his plate while his two female companions watched with little interest. He knew he needed to be some where, but he couldn't remember anything. The only thing that would register in his mind was the need to eat and sleep. In fact, he was seriously considering going straight to bed as soon as he was finished with his meal.

After a few more moments, he set his fork on his plate, ready to call it a night. He looked up, almost falling out of his seat when he noticed his company.

"Oh, hey there" Shippo responded after righting himself. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get some sleep, I think." With that, Shippo tried to push himself out of the chair, but was stopped when he felt two small hands pushing him firmly into his seat.

"Now now Shippo. It is rude to ignore your hostess" the blonde haired girl scolded.

"Oh. I'm sorry. What did you need to talk about?" he asked, his eyes drooping as he talked. He seriously began to wonder if this was all just a dream.

"Shippo, tell us about your friend" instructed Tarasu.

Shippo regarded the demoness with confusion before his mind comprehended the question. "Oh. You mean Kouga? There's not much to him, though he is a lord" Shippo replied as he tried to think of anything else that he was leaving out.

"No dear. Your female friend. Kagome, was it?" Tarasu prodded.

"Kagome" Shippo whispered with sadness. Even though he couldn't remember where he was at the moment, he would never forget his Kagome.

"How do you know her?" Tarasu asked.

"She…she practically adopted me after my father was slain."

"That's interesting. From what you have told Nari, we assumed that she was human."

"She is human, and she has the kindest heart that any creature could hope to possess!" Shippo retorted angrily in his stupor.

"Calm down dear" Tarasu instructed, caressing his cheek as she sent soothing energy into the kitsune. She knew that he would be no good to her if he went on a rampage. Once she was satisfied that he had calmed enough, she continued on with the conversation.

"If my memory serves correct, kitsune will only accept foster parents at a relatively young age, but from what we know of this girl so far, she is still very much alive. If she is mortal, then how has she stayed alive till now?" Tarasu had her suspicions, the strongest one being that the Shikon had kept her alive throughout the years.

When he didn't answer, Tarasu reached forward once again, this time placing her hand on his shoulder. "So how is it that she is still alive?" she asked once more, this time sending her energy into him to make him more willing to cooperate.

"That's because she traveled through time" he replied, swaying a bit under her influence.

Tarasu's eyes lit up with excitement at the revelation. It would seem that the girl was more powerful than she had expected if she had the ability to travel through time. And if she possessed the Shikon, then that would explain its disappearance.

"So, where is the girl now?"

"I…I don't know. Some where in the Ningenkai" he replied sullenly.

Tarasu's face flared in annoyance. The Ningenkai was a large realm, and the girl could be practically anywhere. Although she herself couldn't enter the realm, there had to be some way to notify the girl of her hostage. If the kitsune was telling the truth, and she was indeed his adoptive mother, then there would have to be a very close bond between the two, especially since they were of different species. That left no doubt in her mind that the guardian would seek the kitsune out, giving her the fine opportunity to steal her soul along with the jewel.

She knew that she would have to be careful, since in all terms she was playing with fire. The guardian of the Shikon would more than likely be a Miko, but that would only add to the challenge. As long as she played her cards right, everything would go as planned. First things first, she would need to find a way to contact the girl. But she wouldn't give her their location right away, making the girl search through Makai for her lost kit. That way the girl could be observed and her weak points revealed.

Tarasu turned her attention back to the almost dozing kitsune.

"That's ok dear. But would you know how to reach her?"

Shippo turned half-lidded eyes towards the youkai in front of him, his face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to think.

"No rush, my dear, but the sooner you answer me, the sooner you can go to sleep" she purred out, hoping that would be enough of an incentive to get him talking.

When he again hesitated in answering, Nari made her way over to him, crouching down next to him so he could see her face. "What about your friend Kouga? Would he know?"

"No" Shippo replied, shaking his head. He spaced off for a moment, catching both women off guard when his head snapped up. "Sesshoumaru. I'm supposed to see Lord Sesshoumaru about Kagome. I really need to go" he babbled out, trying in vain to leave his seat.

"I'm sorry dear, but you're not going anywhere. Now sleep" Tarasu instructed, once again urging the kit into a deep slumber. "But do not worry, you will see your beloved guardian once more" she whispered before rising, turning to address Nari before she retreated to her room.

"I want you to send a message to Lord Sesshoumaru, telling him that this Kagome girl must come to my home in order to retrieve her kit. My only condition is that there will be no mention of our location, and it will only be revealed once she has made an appearance."

Nari nodded her head in understanding as she left the dining area to fetch the servants and to fulfill her mistress's request. As they lifted the flaccid body of the kitsune, she pulled one of them aside.

"I need you to run an errand for me. This letter needs to be delivered to a Lord Sesshoumaru" she explained as she held out a white envelope. The servant snatched the envelope from her, excitement lighting up on his face. None of the servants were allowed to leave the estate, so this was a rare opportunity indeed.

"Now, there are some special instructions that you will need to follow exactly, or you will be severely punished. Do you understand?"

The servant merely nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"You will, under no circumstances, reveal our location. Second, the letter is not to be opened until you have reached your destination, and then you will allow no one but yourself to open the envelope."

When Nari was satisfied that the young youkai understood her instructions perfectly, she dismissed him so he could prepare for the journey. She guessed that it would take the youkai a week to a week and a half to reach his destination, which gave them plenty of time to prepare.

She sighed to herself, hoping that her instructions wouldn't be ignored. She knew of Lord Sesshoumaru's reputation, and if the messenger were left alive, he would most likely use them to track their location. That was why she had laced the envelope with some very strong poison, so strong that it would kill its victim in a matter of seconds. She just hoped that the boy wouldn't be foolish enough to try and open it before, or there would be a substantial delay.

A/N: Once again, I must thank my wonderful reviewers for their on going support. Each and every review helps to keep me motivated. This chapter took a bit longer than I expected, and I hope it turned out ok. I was experiencing a blend of writer's block and just life in general. Hopefully I've gotten passed that, and the next one won't be so hard coming. Hope to hear from you, especially any suggestions. Thanks again for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Finally another chapter! This one came easier then the last, so I hope everyone enjoys. One thing, though. I just wanted to mention this so as not to confuse anyone. When I use the name 'Kurama', I am typically using it as reference to their physical body, unless one of their friends is addressing him.

Again I would like to thank everyone for their reviews and support. I really enjoy getting feedback from my readers, so if you have any comments, please let me know!

As the front gate that lead to Sesshoumaru's estate drew closer, Kouga slowed his pace considerably, looking behind him time and time again in the hopes of catching a glimpse of his delayed comrade. He had been certain that Shippo would have met up with him by now, knowing how important this meeting was. He also knew that Lord Sesshoumaru would be angry concerning the kit's absence, and hoped that Shippo would make it before the Lord had realized that there was a delay.

Tossing the thoughts aside for the moment, he approached the tall gate that served as the entrance to Sesshoumaru's estate. Every hair on his body stood on end as he passed through the barrier that surrounded the property, shuddering as the foreign magic searched his body for any sign of recognition. Although he had passed through the force field more times than he could count, he would never get used to it. Shaking off the peculiar feeling, he quickly made his way up to the large manor, the doors opening for him in greeting. He stepped into the elegant foyer, immediately being greeted by a servant.

"The Lord had requested that he not be disturbed this evening. If you'll come this way, I'll show you to your room" the young maid informed him, bowing in respect.

"Ah, that's ok. But where are the runts?" he asked, grateful that he wouldn't have to see the Lord until the next day.

The servant smiled at his request. "You mean Lady Rin and Kirara? They should be in the gardens. Would you like me to take you there?" she asked politely.

"No thanks. I think I can find them on my own" he replied. The two parted ways, the maid towards the main house to tend to her duties and Kouga to the back of the manor.

He stepped outside once again, scanning the large, well kept gardens for any sign of the two females. His ears twitched as he caught the faint sound of giggling on the breeze, and as he followed it, he was lead out of the gardens into what opened up to a beautiful courtyard.

The objects of his search were sitting on a bench, the girl looking up into the blood red sky as her neko companion rested in her lap. The cat hopped off of her mistress's lap when she caught site of their visitor, rushing over to greet their friend.

When Rin finally noticed her company, she jumped up from her seat, running over to see the wolf youkai that had become an uncle to her. The neko reached him first, rubbing up against his legs in greeting. Once the girl had reached him, she engulfed him into a fierce hug. Kouga returned the greeting, pulling her away moments later to inspect the young woman he hadn't seen in a few years.

"You haven't changed a bit" he stated as he eyed her up and down.

With a goofy grin plastered across her face, she extended a finger to poke him in the chest. "And neither have you."

Every one had been surprised but relieved when Rin had stopped aging once she had reached puberty. For many years they all had wondered what had caused such a miracle, but soon came to the conclusion that it must have been an unforeseen side effect from the Tenseiga. Kouga still couldn't remember who had been more relieved by the discovery, Shippo or Sesshoumaru, though he would most likely place his bet on Sesshoumaru.

After their greeting, the trio turned back towards the manor so that they could catch up on old times.

"So how are the cubs and Ayame fairing?" she asked as she lightly padded along.

"Good, despite the fact that Ayame was angry with me for not bringing her along."

"I can see that. It must be torture being by herself with all the cubs."

"Yeah. But she can handle it. Plus she has the whole tribe there to help her."

"I suppose so" she replied with a giggle. "Where is Shippo? I thought that you were traveling together" she asked hopefully as her eyes darted back and forth expecting the kit to jump out at her at any given moment.

"Well, we were, but he had a little detour to attend to. He should be here shortly."

"Oh" she replied sullenly. "I do hope he hurries. I really do miss him."

Kouga merely nodded his head, knowing that the girl meant what she said. Her and Shippo had become the best of friends during her various stays with Sango and Miroku. In fact, it had been the kitsune that had introduced him to the strange girl, and the one to help her get over her fear of him. It had took a while, but she eventually got over the fact that it had been his wolves that had been the cause of her premature death, and now accepted him as if he was family. It also helped that she had a forgiving heart, one that reminded him so much of Kagome. Once Sango had passed away, it had only seemed natural for the youkai neko to stay with Rin. So that was how the miss-matched trio had been brought together, all in one way or another by the loving heart of a young miko named Kagome.

After the three had made it inside, they took to the dining room to resume their conversation over dinner. They continued to converse well into the night in the hopes of catching their delayed friend. As the time passed way beyond midnight, the weary companions parted ways to their own bed chambers, all hoping that their kitsune would arrive with the morning.

Kurama moved silently through the forest, the various plant forms moving to the side to allow him passage. While one member of their team followed up above using the numerous trees to his advantage, his other two companions strayed behind him, caught up in some conversation that held no interest for him. The only thing that he could think of was leaving this wild goose chase behind him.

Although he would always enjoy a nice romp in the forest, he did not, however, like being lead around in circles. They had searched the entire forest, first split up and then as a group, and still, nothing out of the ordinary. Kurama was starting to think that Hiei was correct with his statement earlier that Koenma needed to have his radar repaired.

The darkened sky slowly gave way to dawn as the four made their way to the secluded shrine that belonged to Genkai. That had been the only place that they hadn't checked, but knew that if Genkai knew of anything that would be a threat that she would notify them immediately. So as soon as the steps came into view, Kurama turned to his two friends that were behind him.

"Seeing that we have not found anything, I believe that I will be on my way" he explained.

"Yeah. Whatever" replied a weary Yusuke as he made his way up the steps.

'_About damn time. Now we can go see her' _replied Youko anxiously.

'Not until we go home and take a shower" Shuichi replied, disgusted by the thought of all the sweat and grime that covered their body and clothes due to their escapade.

'_Nonsense. There are plenty of ponds in the area that would be more than suitable to bathe in. Now hurry up' _ he snorted, clearly annoyed by yet another delay.

Shuichi merely nodded his head. 'Normally that would be sufficient, but I think we need a change of clothes' he pointed out.

Youko paused for a minute, thinking upon what his human counterpart had said. It was true that they should present themselves in a clean fashion.

'Fine. But make it fast, because if we miss her due to your dawdling I will personally make you regret it.'

'Do not worry yourself. It is barely dawn and is most likely still asleep.'

'Hmm. Good thinking. I can just imagine what she looks like curled up in her bed. I wonder if she would let us join her. I bet she is just adorable when she sleeps.'

'Youko' Shuichi drew out warningly. 'You know that is not an option. Do I need to remind you that she is human, and we need to treat her delicately if we are to get anywhere.'

Kurama turned to leave as two of his three companions made their way up the steep staircase that lead to the to the temple above, still engrossed in the conversation with himself.

'I know that, baka. It's not like I want to jump into her bed and screw her brains out or anything. I just want to know what she looks like when she sleeps.'

Kurama halted in his steps, his human side completely taken aback for a moment by Youko's words. 'What do you mean. You never want more than just a lover. You aren't seriously thinking of having a relationship…are you?'

Youko remained silent for a moment, considering what Shuichi was asking him. _'It isn't beyond the realm of possibility.'_

'But how? You hardly know anything about her. And she may never be able to know anything about us. How could you even entertain the thought?'

'_Well, you're the one to talk. You are just as much attracted to her as I am.'_

'That, I cannot deny. But I am uncertain as to how far we should take this.' Shuichi expressed as they continued walking.

'_You worry too much. We'll take it as far as she allows us. There is something…different about her. Something that sets her apart from the rest, and I am determined to find that something out' _he replied, the amount of sheer resolution in his voice causing Shuichi to shiver ever so slightly.

Choosing not to push the issue any further, they continued home. After a quick shower and a set of clean clothes, he made his way over to Keiko's, hoping that the girl that had sparked both of their interests would be there.

Kagome slowly roused from her drowsy state, searching through sleep bogged eyes for the red neon lights of her alarm clock. After a moment, the object of her search came into view, and after much squinting, shot out of her bed.

She quickly rubbed her eyes, again looking at the clock that sat upon her nightstand in disbelief. It was past ten in the morning. She knew that she had used a lot of energy the day before, but she didn't think she had been that tired. She hadn't slept in that late since before she could remember, her internal clock having been so used to Inuyasha's wake up at the butt crack of dawn regimen.

Shrugging her shoulders, she stretched her still asleep limbs above her head before getting up. She was in no real hurry since she had nothing planned for the day. If her cousin didn't need any help with the restaurant, she had considered sight seeing or something of the sort.

She left her room, and after using the bathroom, made her way downstairs so that she could eat breakfast. Although she had eaten before she had went to bed, she felt like she hadn't eaten in a week. As she made her way to the family's personal kitchen, she heard what sounded like Keiko talking with someone. Thinking that is was probably her uncle, she paid no mind to the fact that she was still in her nightclothes. They were family, after all.

Kagome stepped into the kitchen, and not wanting to interrupt their conversation, made her way over to the fridge to find something to fill her now growling stomach. Without even sparing a glance towards her cousin, she reached inside the fridge, and deciding that a piece of toast and a glass of milk would do nicely, grabbed the beverage from its shelf.

She was about to close the door when the clearing of a throat grabbed her attention. She turned to her cousin, who looked at her with an amused expression on her face. That was when Kagome realized exactly whom she had been talking to.

She visibly paled, dropping the carton of milk in her stupor, when her eyes locked with sparkling green. The milk went unnoticed until the cold liquid collided with her foot, causing her to jump slightly at the sensation. That was when she realized how ridiculous she must look, dressed in a pair of men's boxers and an over sized night shirt while her hair looked like it hadn't been combed in weeks.

Ignoring the red head that stared at her with an amused smirk gracing his lips, she quickly located a towel to clean up her mess. Once that was accomplished, she decided that she wasn't about to let that guy get her. She had nothing to be embarrassed about since she was decently covered. After throwing the rag in the sink, she fetched herself a glass of juice before taking a seat at the table that was still occupied by Keiko and her new friend.

The three sat in an uncomfortable silence while Kagome sipped on her juice, doing her best to not give her attention to the still smirking Kurama who sat next to her. After a few more awkward moments, Keiko was the first to break the silence.

"Well, I really should get back to work. It was nice talking to you Shuichi" Keiko said as she rose from her chair.

"Ah, did you need any help today?" Kagome asked, hoping that her cousin would give her an excuse to leave as well.

"Oh, no. You go have fun. Maybe Shuichi could take you out" she suggested, winking her eye.

"I would be more than happy to show Kagome around if she'll have me" he replied in a sweet voice, his gaze not once wavering.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders in defeat, knowing there was no way out of it. She turned her attention back towards the red head, smiling sweetly as she made eye contact with him.

"So, what did you have in mind?" she asked before finishing her juice.

'_Do you really want to know?' _Youko answered her from the safety of their mind.

'Will you stop that!' Shuichi scolded.

'_I can't help it. She is just too adorable. I wonder if she looks like this every morning.'_

Ignoring the kitsune's daydreaming, Shuichi refocused his attention to the girl in front of him.

"How about a walk? It's a nice day outside."

Kagome thought over his offer, and finding it to her liking, accepted.

"That sounds great. Let me get dressed and then we'll be off" she replied before escaping to her room.

Kurama watched as Kagome left the kitchen. In a matter of minutes, she reappeared before them, dressed and ready to go. They left Keiko's house, and not taking any particular path, started walking.

After about five minutes of silence, Kurama was the first to break the silence. "So, tell me a little about yourself."

"What do you want to know?" she asked, not certain exactly what he desired to know.

"Well, do you have any siblings?"

Simple enough. "I have a younger brother. We live with my mother and my grandfather" she replied. "How about you?"

"I have a younger brother as well, but only by marriage. He lives with my mother and my step-father."

They continued to walk side by side down the busy sidewalk and Kurama was about to voice another question when a growling sound resonated through the air. Both paused, Kagome turning pink as she placed a hand on her stomach.

"I'm sorry! I forgot to eat something before we left" she exclaimed sheepishly.

Kurama's face lit up with a small smile as he scanned the many different shops that littered the street that they were on. When one in particular grabbed his attention, he reached down, grasping Kagome's hand in his as he led her across the street.

Kagome's blush darkened even more from the physical contact before she relaxed her hand in his. She quickly realized where they were headed, grateful that it was somewhere that she could sate her hunger. As soon as they entered the establishment, they were quickly seated in a booth across from one another and handed menus.

After placing their orders, Kurama went right back to the small talk, determined to get something out of her that would be useful to him.

"So, Kagome, what interests do you have?" he asked as he rested his chin on his folded hands, giving her his undivided attention.

Kagome thought on it for a moment. She really didn't know what to say, since she had never really had the time to take up any hobbies.

"Well, I guess history would be one thing, especially the Sengoku Jidai. I also like archery, camping, and anything that would have to do with the outdoors" she replied thoughtfully.

'_She's even more perfect than I thought. She's beautiful and she enjoys the outdoors' _Youko sighed.

'I agree. I find it intriguing that she likes history. Most humans detest that subject, especially that era.'

"What is it about history that interests you so much?"

"Mainly the legends and folk tales" she answered.

"Then tell me, which legend is your favorite."

Kagome thought for a moment. Of course the legend of the Shikon no Tama was her most knowledgeable subject, but she still felt wary bringing up that subject in front of him since she still hadn't been able to identify his source of youki. Then again, she didn't have to go into great detail.

"It would probably be the legend of the Shikon no Tama" she replied.

If Youko had been the one in control, his ears would have perked up in response to her answer. He knew of the jewel very well, and had even once sought it. But after all the rumors of the curse that befell all of its owners had spread, he decided it wasn't worth his time. He may have been a thief and the jewel may have been powerful, but he wasn't stupid. But still, he hadn't heard anyone mutter a word about it since his occupancy in the Ningenkai.

'_Ask her how she knows about it' _Youko urged, bringing Shuichi out of his daze. He too knew about the artifact, though information on it was very rare. He himself only knew of it from what he had learned from Youko.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you hear about it?"

"My grandfather told me the story a few years back and it kind of stuck with me" she replied, again not fully lying. Her grandfather had been the first one to ever mention the Shikon to her all those fateful years ago before she knew of her fate.

Before Kurama could ask any more questions a waiter approached the table with their food. Kagome, being as hungry as she was, dived into her food without so much as another word. He followed suit, knowing that they had plenty of time for answers. After they had finished eating, Kurama quickly paid the ticket, guiding Kagome back out into the busy sidewalk.

Once they had set a pace, Kurama returned his attention to their previous conversation.

"So, the legend of the Shikon is amazing indeed. How well do you know of it?"

Kagome internally winced when he brought the subject back up. After a quick moment of thinking and a silent thank you to Miroku for all the years of displaying how to do so, she decided that she would turn the conversation around so she could get an idea of where he stood on the subject. "I guess as much as the next person. How about you?"

Before he knew what he was doing, he began giving his account of the fabled artifact. "From what I've heard, it was said that the jewel would grant unsurpassable strength to its wielder and grant any wish set upon it. The only stipulation was that the jewel left nothing but chaos and destruction in its wake, especially after it was supposedly shattered."

Kagome nodded her head in agreement. 'If he only knew' she thought sadly, knowing first hand the effect it had on the people who encountered it. "That sounds pretty much like the story I heard" she replied with a smile, even if it was fake. That told her that he at least held some knowledge that wasn't very widespread, giving her more reasons to suspect his odd energy.

'_I think she knows more then she's letting on'_ Youko speculated.

'How so?'

'_Think. Why would a human girl have any interest in a supposed fable about a damned jewel, and one that existed many centuries ago.'_

'True.'

'_Ask her if she knows anything else' _Youko urged.

'Like what?'

'_Ask her if she knows how it was created. Not many, human or demon, know of its beginning.'_

"I wonder how such a thing came into existence. Have you any idea?" he asked with unfeigned curiosity.

Kagome looked at him in surprise, having not expected the question. "Vaguely. I heard that it was created from the soul of a very powerful miko" she replied. "So, you haven't told me hardly anything about yourself. What sparks your interest?" she asked, hoping that she could redirect their conversation.

'_You' _Youko replied, eyeing the girl skeptically through their eyes.

Shuichi ignored the kitsune's remark, answering her question in turn. "I like gardening, along with martial arts."

"That's an interesting combination" she replied with a laugh.

"I get that a lot."

'_She knows more then she's letting on' _Youko interrupted.

'Why do you say that?'

'_I just know. When I figure it out, I'll let you know' _he answered before retreating to the back of their mind to ponder on the enigma that was Kagome.

They proceeded to walk down the street, coming to a small park that was nestled in the middle of the city. Kagome glanced around, a genuine smile playing across her lips as she watched several children off in the distance.

"They can be a handful" Kurama commented when he noticed how she looked at the children. "Do you plan on having children?"

"Haven't really thought about it" she replied, not wanting to tell him the real reason why she didn't think she would ever have one of her own. She had always wanted children of her own, especially after her experiences with Shippo. But she knew that with her resolution to not be involved in a serious relationship came the inevitability of never having children.

The sound of a ringing bell caught the couple's attention, and when they turned to investigate, Kagome's eyes lit up. A man stood inside a wooden booth, bell in hand, as what looked to be his daughter served customers ice cream. Kurama noticed the delight in her eyes, so for the second time that day, grasped her small hand in his and lead her to the booth.

Ice cream in hand, the pair found a bench to sit on. Kagome plopped down, reclining slightly as she lazily licked at her treat. Kurama could do nothing but stare as her tongue darted out every few seconds to taste her dessert, completely oblivious to what she was doing to her companion as she stared off into the cloud littered sky.

'_What I would do to be that ice cream' _Youko purred, enthralled himself, but more amused by his human counterpart's reaction.

He was so mesmerized by the innocent gesture that his own desert became neglected, calling itself to attention by plopping in his lap. Kurama leapt up with a yelp, Kagome nearly losing her ice cream as she sat up in surprise. Kagome immediately reached for the pile of napkins that they had been given, reaching forward to help him clean the mess off of his pants before it soaked in too much.

Kagome had managed to clean up the majority of the mess before she realized exactly what she was doing. The ice cream had landed right on his thigh, and she was dabbing the napkin in an almost compromising manner. She immediately stopped, a dark blush taking over her features as she quickly stuffed the rest of the napkins in his empty hand promptly returning to her seat, muttering a quiet 'sorry'.

Kurama quickly finished the job, and when he had cleaned as much as he could, resumed his seat next to her.

"Don't worry about it. In fact, thank you for helping me. That was mighty clumsy of me."

'_Go get another ice cream and do it again, except drop it on our chest.'_

'I highly doubt that she would fall for that.'

'_You spoil everything' _Youko pouted.

"I will admit that was kind of funny" she replied.

Kagome now felt bad that he didn't get to eat any ice cream, so she very shyly offered him her own, even if it was half eaten.

Kurama smiled at the gesture. "You don't have to do that. It was my own fault that I lost mine, I would feel bad taking yours."

Kagome frowned a bit, until an idea popped in her head. With her blush returning, she gave him her next offer. "Would you want to share the rest with me?"

'_Say yes baka' _Youko urged.

"If you insist" he replied.

Kagome's smile returned to her once more. She lifted the cone up to Kurama, but instead of taking it, he simply took a bite, in essence allowing her to feed him. Kagome just smiled before taking a bite herself, again offering another bite to her friend.

'_You really ought to lose food more often'_ Youko purred, enjoying the attention. He pushed himself forward a bit, startling Shuichi.

'What are you doing?'

'_Don't worry. I'll behave.'_

Before Shuichi could question the kitsune again, Kagome had extended her hand back up to him so he could take another bite. The only problem was there was hardly anything left of the cone to hold on to.

'_Watch and learn.'_

Youko immediately leaned forward, taking a bite. In the process, though, he managed to catch one of Kagome's small fingertips in his mouth. They watched as her eyes went wide as he slowly pulled back.

"Oh excuse me. I didn't mean to get you there" he explained with fake remorse.

Kagome eyed him curiously before erupting in laughter. "That's ok. I guess we're even from earlier.

'_And I hope to uneven those odds very soon.' _Youko replied.

As much as he hated to end their 'date', Kurama knew that he would most likely need to meet up with the other detectives to discuss the previous night. He still thought that Koenma had made a mistake, but he was in no position to make that decision.

They reached Keiko's sooner then he had wanted. Although they had spent several hours together, he still wanted more. There was just something about the girl that called to every fiber of their beings.

"Well, I had a wonderful time, and I hope we can do this again" he said with a charming smile.

Kagome just smiled back. "I do too. I had a lot of fun."

"It's settled then. We'll do this again tomorrow?" he asked, his eyes shining playfully.

Kagome didn't know what to say, having not meant that soon. "I guess. But I'll have to make sure Keiko doesn't have any plans made up."

"Great. I'll give you a call in the morning" he replied, taking her hand in his, placing a chaste kiss on the soft skin.

Kagome's heart fluttered from the action, completely baffling herself. To her relief, he turned and left, leaving her to her own thoughts on the front step of her temporary home.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I am so sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I have not given up on this fic yet, and do not intend to. Just let me know if you see any errors or have any suggestions. It may take me a while to get back on track. Thanks for reading!

Hiei relaxed in a tree, trying to appear as disinterested as possible from the scene before him. Kuwabara and Yukina sat on the same bench that Kagome and Yukina had shared a couple of days ago, talking quietly to each other. The moment they had reached the shrine grounds, Kuwabara had practically glued himself to Yukina's side, not once leaving her alone.

Although Hiei would never admit it out load, he had finally resigned himself to his comrade's proclaimed love of his sister. He may not like the idea, but he knew that Kuwabara would protect her with his life if it came down to it, so if Yukina ever did accept his advances, he would leave it be and let the couple do as they wished.

He turned his attention to the lowering sun, looking forward to the darkness that the impending night had to offer. They had spent the entire day at the shrine after their all night search. He felt somewhat annoyed that he had to participate in the escapade, but he didn't want to raise too much suspicion, especially from the fox. He knew how odd it would be if he didn't help since his sister was in the general area.

So far, Genkai hadn't said anything to Yusuke concerning her new student, so he took that as a clue to not say anything either. He knew the girl was of no threat, so he saw no point in bringing her up to his friends. He just hoped that the information that he had already given the fox wouldn't come back to haunt him. If he had known that she would have brought this much attention to herself, then he would have refrained from saying anything at all.

Hiei was brought out of his musings when a familiar aura signaled that the kitsune was nearby. Just as he had suspected, within a few minutes said fox arrived. Kurama immediately located him, coming to a stop below the tree he was perched in.

"Hello Hiei. Enjoying yourself up there?" he asked as he leaned against the tree.

"Hn."

"That's nice. Has any information surfaced since I've been gone?"

Hiei's silence gave Kurama his answer. "Well, I had better say hello to Genkai. See you in a bit unless you care to join me?"

Hiei thought on it for a moment before jumping down from the tree, walking ahead of his friend towards the dojo where he knew Yusuke and Genkai to be. They made their way quietly across the courtyard, Kurama's lips curling up in a smile as the sound of what sounded like a violent sparing match reached their ears. When they had finally made it to the entrance of the dojo, Kurama and Hiei waited at the door, watching the master and student combat with each other, and so far it looked as if the master was winning.

Both youkai watched as Yusuke was punched clear across the large room, landing on the ground with a loud grunt. He quickly stood up, bracing himself against Genkai's many punches before she pulled back. During the brief pause, Yusuke noticed their spectators, losing his concentration for a moment.

"Oi! Kurama! When did you get here?" Yusuke asked before flying back again from a sucker punch to the face.

"Don't you ignore me!" Genkai scolded, as she stood over the sprawled out form of Yusuke.

If it had been anyone else, Genkai's opponent would have been seriously injured, if not killed by her attacks. But since it was Yusuke, he sat up after a moment, shrugging off the remnants of the assault.

"Hey now, its not my fault that they just come waltzing in here!" Yusuke replied as he got to his feet. "Besides, I was trying to take it easy on you, you being old and all."

Genkai ignored her former student's remark, walking gracefully towards the other side of the dojo.

"What, done all ready?" Yusuke asked while rubbing the side of his bruised face.

"If you have that much energy, I'm sure that I can dig up some chores for you to do" Genkai threatened.

Yusuke immediately began waving his hands in front of him. "Naw. That's ok. I need to catch up on some sleep anyway" Yusuke replied, adding a yawn to emphasize his point.

By this time Kuwabara had joined the youkai by the door, followed by Yukina. The four made their way into the dojo, coming to a stop in the middle.

"So, what shall we tell Koenma?" asked Kuwabara, anxious to get back to Yukina.

"Well, I guess we'll tell him what we found. Nothing" replied Yusuke. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm heading home to get some sleep. Knowing Keiko, she'll want to go out tonight" explained Yusuke before heading out the door.

Seeing that the meeting was now over, Kuwabara not so discretely escorted Yukina back outside under the tree. Although he wished he could never leave her side, he needed some sleep too. Saying his last words of undivided love, he raced down the stairs of the shrine after his friend.

Kurama, Hiei, and Genkai watched the two as the headed into the forest, listening to the fading voice of Kuwabara as he begged Yusuke to wait up on him. Yukina, finally alone, turned towards the main house, intent on getting to her chores since someone had tied her up all day.

Genkai was about to head in the same direction as Yukina when Kurama stopped her with a question.

"So, I hear that you have acquired a new student, Genkai."

Genkai stopped in her tracks, only haven taken three steps. Sending a quick glare to Hiei, she decided to answer his question as truthfully as possible, but without letting too much information out. It was her responsibility as a teacher to protect her student's privacy.

"That would be true. But do not worry. She won't be here for long, and there's nothing that special about her."

'Just amazing' she thought to herself. When Kurama remained silent, she took that as her queue that he was finished, and continued on her way towards the house for a well-deserved nap.

Kurama turned to Hiei to ask him more about this new student. Sensing Kurama's intentions, Hiei made a quick escape into the forest, not even leaving his friend with a good bye. Kurama shrugged his shoulders, knowing that there would always be a time for more interrogations. Deciding to head back home he turned towards the forest, thinking about a certain woman that had caught his fancy.

Kouga woke from his disturbed slumber, the sounds of the different Makai birds signaling that is was morning. He left his bed, and after a suitable stretch, made his way downstairs to join the rest of the household for breakfast. He only hoped that his kitsune friend had arrived during the night.

As he descended the stairs, a very solemn faced Rin greeted him. He immediately joined her, knowing that the only thing that could be wrong would be the still on-going absence of Shippo.

"So, I assume the kit hasn't made it in yet?" he asked her even though he already knew the answer.

"No. Do you have any idea where he went?" she asked, the worry that was on her face leaking into her voice.

"He escorted this girl home that we met up with in a town on our way here. She had apparently lost her companions and was afraid to walk all the way back by herself."

"BAKA! The both of you! How could the both of you be so foolish! Do you have any idea what this girl's name was of where they were heading? And why didn't you stay together? And…"

Rin was cut off by a warning look from Kouga. Behind them at the base of the steps was Lord Sesshoumaru, who was glaring at the both of them due to Rin's shouting so early in the morning. He merely turned away, heading into the dining area. The pair on the steps took that as their cue to follow him, though reluctantly. They knew that the Lord would not be pleased with Shippo's absence, and even more so, with the reason behind it.

After they had all been seated and the food served, Kouga and Rin began to eat their meal in silence under the irritated stare of the Lord.

"Where is the kit?" he demanded.

"He should be here any time now" Kouga replied, meeting the direct stare of Sesshoumaru.

"I presumed that you would be traveling together. Do not tell me that he has gotten himself into trouble" he replied, his knowing eyes scanning the faces of his company.

Rin tried her best to keep a straight face, but the worry over her friend became evident as her eyes watered up. "Lord Sesshoumaru! He escorted this girl home and now he's no where to be found. Will you please look for him?" she asked, her tears finally spilling over onto her face.

Sesshoumaru redirected his glare towards the wolf lord, his eyes demanding a more detailed explanation. "Well, you see, there was this girl that we met in a tavern and she seemed to be lost. She asked if we would accompany her home, so Shippo volunteered and told me to go on ahead and that he would meet up with me" he explained.

"Fools. And how long ago was that?"

"Just a few nights ago. It was only a day or so from here, well if you're as fast as me, anyway."

Sesshoumaru shook his head in disbelief that the two could be so careless. Having lost his appetite, he rose from the table. "I will send out a search party this afternoon. Kouga, meet me in my study this afternoon for the information that you requested on Kagome."

"But what about Shippo?" Kouga asked, not wanting the kit to be left out of the meeting.

"Considering if he is still alive, you can pass on the information yourself" he replied as he left the dining hall.

After a few moments of silence, Rin turned her watery eyes towards her companion. "Do you really think Shippo is in any danger? Do you think he'll be okay?"

"Don't worry about it. He most likely got lost or something. He'll be fine" he replied as reassuringly as he could. Rin calmed a bit with his words and began to eat. He only wished that his words could have the same affect on him, for the worry that he had felt upon arriving had magnified a thousand fold. 'If anything has happened to him, Kagome will never forgive me' he thought sullenly to himself.

Kagome sat up in her bed for what had to have been the hundredth time that night. Every time she started to doze off, she was assaulted with various images, ranging from the fateful day with Inuyasha to the date that she had with Kurama. She let her face fall into her hands, letting out a frustrated sigh. It had been a while since she had done this, and had hoped that her insomnia had finally passed.

She withdrew the covers from her body, and once she was out of bed, she walked over to the one window in her tiny room. She opened it up, relishing in the warm breeze that fluttered the curtains and her hair. She gazed out into the night sky, watching longingly at the twinkle of the stars. If she closed her eyes and thought long enough, she could still remember the sight of the night sky during her stays in the Sengoku Jidai, sleeping under a blanket of a million stars. The comfort of knowing that a certain hanyou watched over her…

Kagome's eyes shot open at the memory. She scolded herself for the thought, reminding herself that those memories only brought back more pain. Deciding that she wasn't going to be able to sleep any time soon, she quickly dressed in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, and after pulling on some sneakers, quietly made her way into the night.

She had no place that she had particularly wanted to go, and had just intended to walk around the block, so she was quite astonished when she ended up at the park. 'Man, I must really be out of it' she thought to herself. Shrugging her shoulders, she went into the park, heading towards the clearing that she had found on her first day.

Hiei made a fast getaway from Genkai's shrine, knowing that if he didn't, the fox would pester him for more answers. As dusk turned to night, he still remained in the forest, not wanting to face Genkai's scolding, for her glare told him everything.

He chided himself for this one. He was always the quite one, never telling anyone anything. And the one time he does, it comes right back at him. Well, now he knew better. With nowhere to sleep, he decided to head towards the city and see if there was anything amusing going on in the area.

As he neared the park, a now familiar presence greeted his senses. Heading towards the hidden clearing of sakura trees, he quickly located the object of his attention in the darkness. She was sitting in the same position, as she was when he had first seen her, but she didn't jump up in surprise this time. He stopped, and watched as a small smirk played across her face.

"I know you're there, Hiei, so you might as well come out" she said softly, but not to where he couldn't hear it.

Hiei hesitated for a moment, debating on whether he really wanted to have a conversation with the woman. Deciding that he had nothing better to do, he made his way over to her, jumping down in front of her with a soft thump. She sat against the tree, her legs crossed and her eyes closed.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" he asked, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

"I could ask the same of you" she replied with her eyes still shut.

She felt Hiei's youki spike for a moment and calm.

"You don't have to get upset, Hiei. I was only joking. If you really want to know, I couldn't sleep" she replied, finally opening her eyes to look at the squatting youkai before her.

"You couldn't sleep, eh? Most ningen watch TV or read a book. Not go wandering out into the park in the middle of the night."

"Well, I'm not like most ningen" she replied, a slight sadness overtaking her features.

Hiei noticed the expression, but decided that it was not a concern of his. He was about to jump off into the trees to find somewhere to sleep when Kagome voiced a question of her own.

"Hiei? Have you ever been betrayed by anyone before?"

His first instinct was to tell her to mind her own business and leave, but there was something about the way she asked it that caught his attention.

"Who hasn't?" he replied indifferently.

"That's true. But by someone you really loved, who held your heart."

"Love is inconsequential. If someone betrays me, then they must die" he replied with a deadly glint shining in his eyes.

Kagome brought her hand up to her mouth to try and stifle the giggle that escaped her mouth.

"What do you think is to funny?" he asked, turning that glare towards her.

Kagome immediately cut off the giggle when she noticed his expression, waving her hands in front of her face. "Nothing! I swear. It just seems like a typical answer from a youkai."

Hiei caught what she said. "So, have you ever had actual contact with youkai before? You seem to be an expert" he asked, standing up to loom over her.

Kagome didn't know what to say, not having meant to leak that information. "Um…well you see…it's …"

"Never mind" he cut her off. I'll find out one way or another. That I promise you."

Kagome stared up at him, hoping in one way that he could find out so she would have someone to talk to. But could he really be trusted?

"As far as being betrayed, we all have been one way or another."

Before Kagome could ask him what he meant by that, he was gone into the night. She sensed him as he moved towards the forest, getting up from her spot on the ground.

"Goodnight, Hiei" she replied softly before heading back towards home.

Hiei made his way into the forest, deciding that he would rather spend the night amongst the trees then in the streets of the city. The girl was becoming more of an enigma every time he saw her. From their latest conversation, the girl had most definitely come into contact with youkai before. But how? He had considered forcing the information out of her, but for some reason he didn't want to do that to her.

As he settled into a tree not to far from Genkai's shrine, he just reminded himself that he would have to keep a close eye on her during her training with Genkai.


	10. Chapter 10

Kagome woke to her alarm, and after a quick shower and breakfast, met with her cousin in the restaurant that occupied the main part of the downstairs area. After hearing the numerous protests of her cousin, Kagome finally slipped on an apron, determined to help out that day.

"But what if Shuichi shows up?" Keiko asked, a knowing glint shining in her eyes.

"And what if he does?" Kagome replied without looking up. Keiko was about to respond when the sound of an approaching customer caught her attention. Kagome was glad for the distraction, since she herself didn't know what to think of Shuichi herself. All she could think was that she was definitely falling for him, and hard at that. But that was the problem. She didn't know if she could continue with the friendship, especially since she knew that he wanted more.

But she was only there for the summer. She could just break it off before she left. As soon as the thought entered her mind, she quickly dismissed the idea, knowing that it was of no use. She would just have to let him know that they could only be friends and nothing more. And today she didn't want to see him, knowing that she would need a day or two to resolve her determination.

After the morning rush had cleared, Kagome headed to the kitchen to start on the various chores that needed to be done before lunch began. Keiko had been right behind her, but made a detour to answer the phone. As Kagome started to lay out the preparations for that day's special, she overheard Keiko's conversation.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be thrilled to go with you. No, we haven't made any plans for today. Let me go get her so you can tell her yourself. Just hold on one sec. KAGOME! PHONE!"

Kagome knew immediately who it was, now remembering Shuichi's promise to call her today. Setting down the knife, she head out to the front counter.

"It's your lucky day Kagome!" Keiko teased before she headed to finish what Kagome had started.

Kagome picked up the phone, looking at it for a moment before putting it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Ahhh. Kagome. I see that you're up."

Kagome's face lit up with a blush, reminding her of their encounter the previous morning.

"Yeah. I'm usually an early riser. Must have been exhausted from the trip here" she replied.

"I can understand that. I was thinking that we could go on a picnic today, seeing that you don't have any plans."

Kagome hesitated before giving her reply. "Sure. That sounds great."

"It's settled then. I'll be there in an hour. Can't wait to see you."

After hanging up the phone, Kurama went to his bedroom, picking through his wardrobe for something to wear.

'_Do you really think she'll like our surprise?'_ asked Youko.

'Of course. I know that most girls wouldn't really care for a date like this, but she's already expressed a great deal of interest.'

'_If you say so. If she gets bored and gets away from us, I'll make you regret it' _he threatened.

'I said to trust me. She'll like it, and maybe she'll warm up to us more' replied Shuichi reassuringly.

'_I don't know what you have in mind, but I can only imagine how I would like her to warm up to us. I swear if you don't make a move, I'll make it for you.'_

Shuichi knew by the tone in his voice that Youko was serious. Why did things have to be so complicated? He just hoped that the surprise would be to her liking.

Kagome sat in the dining area of the restaurant, waiting patiently for Shuichi to arrive. She had finally made herself resolve to tell him that they could be nothing more then friends, although she knew it would be hard. She was just about to go over the reasons once more when the door to the restaurant opened, the chiming of the bells announcing his presence.

Kagome greeted him with a smile, and after a quick goodbye to Keiko, followed him outside.

"Thank you for joining me, Kagome."

"Not a problem" she replied, looking up. And every bit of her resolve left her when she met his gorgeous green eyes. She stared for a moment, blushing when she noticed the pleased expression on his face.

'_Now that's more like it. Get her to do that again' _Youko purred, thoroughly enjoying her embarrassment.

'All in due time.'

'_Well, I know of quite a few things that will bring that color back to her cheeks.'_

Shuichi had to choke back a gasp at the images that flooded his mind, not wanting to startle Kagome. He quickly latched arms with Kagome, and with the picnic basket in his other hand, led them to the park in which they had first met.

Once they had found a suitable place, Kurama laid the blanket out. Once they were settled, he began to pull out the various foods that he had brought.

"I thought we would start with these" he suggested, laying out a package of fresh strawberries and a bowl of chocolate.

Thinking nothing of it, Kagome's face lit up, wasting no time digging in. With strawberry in hand, dripping with chocolate, Kagome made a huge effort not to drip it all over the place.

They watched, mesmerized, as she opened her mouth wide, but not before her tongue darted out to catch a drip.

'_Shuichi, you're a genius.'_

'I told you. We've already had one good experience with food.'

Kagome looked up after she had finished the delectable, blushing under the intense stare of emerald eyes.

"Um, Shuichi? Aren't you going to have any?"

"Oh yes" he replied, finally coming out of his stupor.

After Kurama had his berry ready, Kagome followed suit. After they had finished, Kurama dished up another. With his hand underneath to catch any stray drops, he offered it to Kagome. She looked at him skeptically for a minute, but quickly accepted. She leaned over, taking the entire morsel into her mouth except for the part that was being held by him. After she had finished chewing, she glanced over at him.

"Hey, you have some chocolate on your chin" she explained, demonstrating by pointing at his face.

"Do I really?" he replied. Kurama picked up a napkin, dabbing it here and there, purposely missing the offending drop. "Did I get it?"

"No. Here." Kagome reached forward, using her finger to wipe the dot off. In doing so, it put her right near his face.

Once she realized her proximity, it was too late. He had already brought his hand up to cup her face as he looked questioningly into her eyes, captivating her. Her mind screamed for her to move away, but her body betrayed her.

When she didn't move away, Kurama leaned forward a bit more, causing their lips to meet. Kagome remained still, her eyes wide open. This was not what she had meant to do today, she reminded herself, and was about to pull away when she felt his tongue slither along her lips, coaxing them open.

As if by reflex, her lips parted, allowing him to deepen the kiss. It took all of her will to repress the moan that wanted to escape from her as every nerve in her body screamed with pleasure.

Sensing her arousal, Kurama ended the kiss, and with his hand still cupping her face, pulled back enough to stare into her blue orbs. He had to repress a chuckle at her shocked expression.

"Kagome? Are you okay?"

All she could do was nod her head.

"I hope that wasn't to forward of me. I just couldn't help it."

Kagome finally brought herself back to reality. "No. It's okay. I just wasn't expecting that" she replied, bringing her gaze down to look at her fidgeting hands. 'Now how am I supposed to tell him' she thought to herself. And she now knew that she didn't want to tell him.

'I think we upset her' suggested Shuichi as he gazed at her confused expression.

'_I think not. There is no denying that she enjoyed it. It was written all over her scent' _replied Youko.

'That may be, but there is something bothering her.'

'_Maybe she just can't wait to get us alone' _Youko answered smugly.

Kagome lifted her gaze back up, pushing aside the growing turmoil of emotions that one kiss had caused her.

"Hey, do you think we could get out of here? I really would like a walk" she asked, no longer hungry.

"That sounds great, but first let's swing by my apartment so I can drop off this basket."

Kagome waited outside while Kurama ditched their unfinished lunch, looking into the sea of faces that were enjoying the summer afternoon. Kurama quickly joined her downstairs, and taking her hand in his, lead her down the street.

"So, is there any place in particular that you would like to go?" she asked him.

"Yes I do, actually."

Kagome waited for him to elaborate, but it never came. "So what did you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise."

Kagome mentally groaned. She hated surprises, but didn't question him any further. After a few minutes, Kurama stopped in front of a large building.

"Well, this is it."

"A museum?"

"Well, I thought that since you said that you had an interest in history, you would enjoy a visit. And it just so happens that they have an exhibit concerning the Sengoku Jidai."

Kurama watched as her expression lit up with interest at the mention of the era. They made their way into the building, and after looking at all the various exhibits, finally came to the one that they had been looking forward to.

Kurama watched as Kagome's eyes lit up with wonder as she stared at the various instruments and artifacts that lay behind the glass cases.

"It's so hard to believe that these things would still be in one piece. They are so old. Look here at this one" she said as she grabbed his hand and led him to a case.

"Aren't these just amazing?" she asked, pointing to the various swords. "Can't find ones like these now a days."

'_And how would she know?' _Youko questioned.

'Now that is a good question. Maybe she just has an interest in swords' he suggested.

'_She talks like she would know what a sword from this certain era can withstand, especially the right ones.'_

Shuichi was about to reply when he noticed that Kagome was no longer standing beside him. Looking around, he found her gazing into a case that held various armor and clothing that had been unearthed.

He walked the distance to her, and was about to voice a question about her interest in swords when he caught the pained expression on her face. He followed her gaze, his eyes falling upon two sets of clothing. One seemed to be some sort of armor, perhaps that of a slayer, while the other was unmistakably that of a monk.

Thinking nothing out of the ordinary, he returned his gaze back to her, immediately noticing tears as they raced down her cheek.

"Kagome? Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked as worry engulfed him.

She remained enraptured with the display, and was about to ask her again when her faint whisper caught his attention.

"Sango…Miroku…"

Kagome couldn't believe what she was seeing. She wasn't sure if the clothing was that of her friends, but even so, it brought back a flood of memories. The impact of actually knowing that they no longer existed, that they were gone to her, tore at her heart. She raised her hand to the case, wishing that she could see their faces and hear their voices one last time.

She was brought out of her trance when she felt her power rising up inside. She immediately tried to rein it in, but her emotions were too much. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Shuichi reached a hand out to her. Not knowing what would happen, she backed away quickly, just as her power bubbled over. The sound of shattering glass and the shocked gasps of other people filled her senses, but what concerned her the most was the pained look on Shuichi's face.

Kagome rushed forward, catching him as he collapsed to the floor. 'What just happened to him?' she thought to herself, panicking when it was obvious that he had lost consciousness. Then she remembered the youki that she had felt from him before, causing her panic to intensify.

"Shuichi! Please wake up! Can you hear me?" she asked him over and over again as her tears fell onto his face.

The first thing he comprehended was the throbbing pain that was causing stars to appear before his closed eyes.

'Youko? What just happened?'

He became alarmed when he didn't get a response, but relaxed when he felt the fox's presence. "Must be out cold' he thought to himself. The next thing that he noticed was the feeling of something falling on his face. Daring to open his eyes, he was greeted by the tear stained face of Kagome.

"Oh thank Kami you're okay" she sobbed out, brushing his back from his forehead.

'If only Youko were here' he thought to himself when he noticed that his head was in her lap.

Once his eyes had adjusted, he looked around at the stunned faces of the people around the room, noticing that every glass case had splintered.

"Can you stand up?" she asked him.

"I think so. What happened?" he asked as he began to rise.

"I'm so sorry" she replied.

Once he was on his feet, he was about to ask her what she was sorry for, but was cut off before he could even try.

"I'm so sorry. I really need to go. I'll talk to you later" she explained, running out of the room before he could even reply. He tried to go after her, but his splitting head would allow him no such thing.


	11. Chapter 11

Due to the graphic content due to come, this story will be discontinued on this site. If you wish to read more, please read as media miner . org. pen name is faerygirl44.

Thanks for reading and please review!


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